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I 

BX    9183     .S6 

Smith,  William  D.,  b.  ca . 

1800. 
What  is  Calvinism? 


///. 


WHAT  IS  CALVINISM? 


OR   THE 


CONFESSION  OFFAITII, 

/ 

IN  HARMONY  WITH  THE  BIBLE  AND 


COMMON  SENSE^/^l^^'^^    ^^   ^  ^^''.^^' 

DEC20  19II 


IN   A   SERIES   OF 


DIALOGUES  BETWEEN  A  PRESBYTERIAN  MINISTER 
AND   A   YOUNG   CONVERT. 


BY   THE 

EEV.  WILLIAM  D.  SMITH,  D.D. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION. 

No.  265  CHESTNUT  STREET- 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congresa  in  the  year  1854,  by 

A.    W.    MITCHELL,    M.D. 

in  the  Ofl5ce  of  the  Clerk  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Eastern 
District  of  Pennsvlvania. 


INTRODUCTIOISr. 


There  are  two  causes  which  exert  a  powerful  in- 
fluence in  rendering  unpopular  those  doctrines  usu- 
ally styled  Calvin istic.  One  of  them  is  radical,  and 
not  to  be  removed  by  reason  or  argument.  Its  seat 
is  in  the  heart.  It  consists  in  a  distaste  for  doctrines 
which  are  so  humiliating,  and  therefore  repugnant 
to  our  depraved  nature.  The  only  effectual  remedy 
is  the  grace  of  God.  When,  by  the  renewal  of  our 
minds,  we  are  brought  fully  and  cordially  to  ac- 
quiesce in  the  Divine  government,  and  to  rejoice  that 
the  "  Lord  God  Omnipotent  reigneth,"  the  essential 
elements  of  these  doctrines  will  not  only  form  a  part 
of  our  creed,  but  become  the  nourisnment  of  our 
souls  and  the  source  of  our  purest  and  most  elevated 
enjoyment. 

The  other  cause  alluded  to  is  a  misapprehension 
of  what  these  doctrines  really  are,  as  understood  by 
those  who  believe  them.  They  are  often  rejected 
on  this  ground  even  by  pious  men,  who,  relying  upon 
the  representations  of  uncandid  and  prejudiced  wri- 
ters or  speakers,  are  made  to  believe  that  they  are 
dishonourable  to  God,  and  therefore  not  only  to  be  re- 
pudiated, but  abhorred.  There  are  not  a  few,  whose 
religious  knowledge  is  small,  that  will  scarcely  listen 
with  patience  to  Calvinistic  preachers,  because  of 
tlie  erroneous  impression  made  upon  their  minds  by 
false  and  slanderous  statements  concerning  their  sys- 
tem of  faith.  And  when  they  do  hear  them,  and 
find  that  no  such  odious  doctrines  are  preached,  they 
Bometimes  charge  them  with  hvpocrisy  in  concealing 

(iii) 


IV  INTRODUCTION. 

their  real  sentiments.  To  remove  these  prejudices 
and  to  enlighten  the  minds  of  such,  is  an  important 
object ;  and  hence  a  work  which  states  with  candor 
and  correctness  what  these  doctrines  are,  as  held  by 
their  advocates,  which  explains,  proves,  and  illus- 
trates them  in  a  kind,  lucid,  and  convincing  manner, 
and  thus  commends  itself  to  the  attention  and  confi- 
dence of  its  readers,  is  of  great  and  permanent  value. 
The  present  volume  we  regard  as  such  a  book;  and 
we  most  cordially  and  earnestly  recommend  it  to  all 
candid  and  sincere  inquirers  after  truth.  Upon  plain 
and  unsophisticated  minds,  it  can  scarcely  fail  to 
make  a  favourable  impression.  We  commend  it, 
also,  to  the  doubting,  and  even  to  the  prejudiced  (if 
any  such  are  willing  to  read  it),  believing  that  a 
careful  perusal  of  its  contents  will  produce  a  bene- 
ficial result. 

Dr.  Smith  had  served  the  church  as  a  pastor,  as  a 
missionary  among  the  Indians,  as  an  editor  of  a  re- 
ligious paper,  and  as  a  teacher  of  youth.  For  two 
or  three  3'^ears  previous  to  his  decease,  which  occurred 
in  the  autumn  of  1848,  he  was  a  professor  in  "  An- 
derson's Collegiate  Institute''  at  New  Albany,  Indi- 
ana, where  his  services  were  highly  appreciated. 
Only  a  few  days  before  his  death,  the  honorary  de- 
gree of  D.  D.  was  conferred  upon  him  by  the  trus- 
tees of  his  Alma  Maier,  Washington  College,  Pa.  As 
a  preacher,  he  was  eminently  scriptural.  His  man- 
ners were  plain  and  unaffected  ;  his  temper  sweet  and 
equable ;  his  conversation  agreeable  and  edifying. 
He  was,  in  short,  "  an  Israelite,  indeed,  in  whom  was 
no  guile. '^  His  departure  from  the  world  was  peace- 
ful and  happy.  Many  tears  were  shed  over  his  grave, 
and  his  memory  will  be  long  embalmed  in  the  affec- 
tions of  his  numerous  friends.  Our  prayer  is  that 
this  volume  may  perpetuate  his  name  and  his  useful- 
ness to  many  generations.  It  is  worthy  of  a  place 
in  every  Christian  family.  James  Wood. 


li^DEX. 


Introduction       .... 
Misrepresentations  of  Calvinism 
Decrees  of  God 
Decrees  of  God  continued 

Election 

Election  continued 

Original  Sin       .... 

Free  Grace      .... 

Good  Works 

Inability 

Free  Will 

Effectual  Calling     . 

Sinless  Perfection 

Sinless  Perfection  continued 

Perseverance 

Perseverance  continued 

Admission  to  the  Church   . 

Church  Government 

Bible  Republicanism 

Bible  Presbyterianisra    . 

Primitive  Presbyterianism 

Presbyterianism  of  the  Reformers 


PAOE 

7 

13 

28 

39 

49 

C2 

75 

87 

102 

115 

128 

140 

151 

161 

174 

186 

200 

212 

221 

231 

241 

253 


(V) 


WHAT    IS   CALVINISM? 


DIALOGUE  I. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Convert. — I  have  called  this  evening  to 
converse  with  you  on  a  subject,  which  has 
of  late  occupied  my  mind  very  much.  I 
have  recently,  as  you  are  aware,  through 
divine  grace,  had  my  mind  very  seriously 
exercised  on  the  subject  of  religion,  and 
now  have  hopes  that  I  have  experienced  a 
gracious  change,  and  have  become  a  child 
of  God — consequently,  I  have  felt  desirous 
of  connecting  myself  with  some  religious 
society.  As  it  was  through  the  instru- 
mentality of  Presbyterian  ministers  I  was 
first  led  to  see  my  lost  condition,  and  ulti- 
mately to  cast  myself  on  Christ  for  salva- 
tion, I  had  a  preference  for  that  church. 
But,  I  have  been  told,  you  believe  such 
dreadful  doctrines,  that  I  have  been  led  to 
doubt  what  would  be  duty. 

(7) 


8  INTRODUCTION. 

Minister.— Wh^it  are  the  dreadful  doc- 
trines, of  our  church,  which  make  you 
hesitate  ? 

Con. — I  have  been  told,  you  believe  that 
God,  by  an  unchangeable  and  arbitrary 
decree,  has  divided  the  human  family  into 
two  classes,  elect  and  reprobate — that  the 
elect,  he  has,  from  eternity,  decreed  to 
save,  let  them  live  as  they  may.  ^o  mat- 
ter how  ungodly,  or  careless  they  are,  they 
will  all  certainly  be  saved.  But  the  rep- 
robate class  are  created  for  the  purpose 
only  of  eternal  damnation,  which  God  has 
so  arbitrarily  decreed,  that  no  matter  how 
earnestly  and  diligently  they  may  seek 
salvation,  they  must  be  lost.  These,  mth 
a  great  many  other  similar  doctrines,  such 
as  infant  damnation,  &c.,  I  have  been  told, 
are  the  doctrines  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  to  which  I  must  give  my  assent 
before  I  could  be  admitted  as  a  mem- 
ber. 

J\Un. — Did  any  member  of  our  church 
give  you  this  representation  of  our  faith 
and  practice  ? 

Con. — ^o,  sir.  I  had  them  from  a  neigh- 
bour, a  member  of  the  Methodist  church, 
who  has  manifested  considerable  interest 
in  my  case,  and  expressed  his  regret  that 
I  would  even  attend  a  church,  where  such 
doctiines  are  held  and  taught. 


INTRODUCTION.  9 

Min. — ^Did  jou  ever  hear  sucli  doctrines 
advanced  in  our  church,  by  any  one  ? 

Con. — ISTo,  sir. 

Min. — I  beheve  no  one  has  ever  heard 
such  doctrines  advanced  by  any  Presbyte- 
rian; and  I  have  often  been  surprised  at 
the  pertinacity  with  which  such  misrepre- 
sentations are  insisted  upon,  as  being  the 
doctrines  of  our  church.  Indeed,  I  have 
rarely  heard  or  seen  our  doctrines  stated 
in  their  true  hght,  b}'  any  of  our  oppo- 
nents. They  uniformly  make  some  gross 
misrejjresentation  of  them,  such  as  you 
mention,  and  then  hold  up  to  odium  and 
ridicule,  the  creatures  of  their  own  mis- 
guided, or  malignant  fancies.  It  reminds 
me  very  forcibly  of  the  infidel,  who,  in 
order  to  show  his  malignant  hatred  of  the 
Bible,  sewed  it  up  in  the  skin  of  an  ani- 
mal, and  endeavoured  to  set  his  dogs  on 
it.  So  our  doctrines  are  always  dressed 
up  in  something  that  does  not  belong  to 
them,  before  any  attempt  is  made  to  excite 
odium  against  them.  These  misrepresen- 
tations, moreover,  are  often  made  under 
circumstances  which  preclude  all  excuse 
on  the  ground  of  ignorance.  A  few 
weeks  ago,  in  preaching  a  sermon  which 
involved  the  doctrine  of  innate  depravity, 
I  took  occasion  to  mention  the  ground  on 
which  we  believed  in  the  salvation  of  in- 


10  INTRODUCTION. 

fants — ^that  it  was  not  because  we  believed 
tbem  boly,  and  without  sin ;  but,  because 
we  believed  they  were  sinful,  and  would 
be  saved,  through  the  imputed  righteous- 
ness of  Christ.  A  few  days  afterwards  it 
was  told  with  a  great  deal  of  affected,  pi- 
ous horror,  that  I  had  preached  the  awful 
doctrine  of  infant  damnation. 

Con. — Such  things  I  know  have  been 
done,  and  this  led  me,  at  first,  to  suspect 
that  the  representations  I  had  of  your 
doctrines  were  not  true;  but  my  neigh- 
bour gave  me  a  book,  which  professes  to 
give  extracts  from  your  standard  writers, 
and  the  Confession  of  Faith  of  your 
church,  in  which  I  find  many  things  to 
confirm  his  statements.  It  was  this  that 
staggered  me.  I  could  not  think  that  any 
one  would  deliberately  publish  falsehoods ; 
and  yet  I  could  hardly  believe,  that  such 
dreadful  doctrines  as  I  find  there  stated, 
were  in  reality  the  doctrines  of  your  church ; 
and,  as  I  had  not  access  to  the  writings 
from  which  these  extracts  are  said  to  be 
taken,  and  as  I  wish  to  make  up  my  mind 
deliberately  on  the  subject,  and  act  intelli- 
gently, I  wished  to  make  known  to  you 
my  difficulties,  having  confidence  that  they 
would  be  met  and  treated  in  a  spirit  of 
candour  and  truth. 


INTRODUCTION.  11 


Min. — I  thank  you  for  your  confidence, 
and  hope  you  will  find  it  has  not  been 
misplaced.  AYhat  is  the  book  that  your 
neighbour  gave  you,  in  which  you  have 
found  those  doctrines  that  you  say  have 
been  charged  upon  us  ? 

Con. — It  is  a  volume  of  "Doctrinal 
Tracts,  published  by  order  of  the  General 
Conference"  of  the  Methodist  church. 

Min. — Are  you  at  liberty  to  let  me  ex- 
amine it? 

Con. — I  presume  so.  I  will  hand  it  to 
vou,  and  will  call  ao;ain  to-morrow  even- 

Min. — I  will  examine  it;  and,  if  I  find 
our  doctrines  truly  stated,  I  hope  I  shall 
be  able  to  show  very  clearly,  that  they  are 
the  doctrines  of  the  Bible,  and  of  com- 
mon sense.  I  wish  you  to  understand, 
however,  that  w^e  are  not  responsible  for 
every  expression  that  may  be  found  in  the 
writings  of  any  individual,  though  we  may 
approve  of  his  works  in  the  main ;  and 
he  may  be  classed  among  our  standard 
writers.  It  is  only  our  Confession  of 
Faith  that  we  adopt  as  a  whole,  as  con- 
taining the  system  of  doctrines  taught  in 
the  Bible. 

Con. — Some  of  the  extracts  are  from 
the  Confession  of  Faith  of  your  church. 


12  INTRODUCTION. 

Min. — Yeiy  well ;  all  such  I  am  bound 
to  defend,  and  hope  to  be  able  to  show 
you,  that  the  Bible,  the  Confession  of  Faith, 
and  common  sense,  are  in  perfect  accord- 
ance with  each  other. 


DIALOGUE  IL 

MISREPRESENTATIONS   OF   CALVINISM. 

Convert. — Since  I  saw  you,  I  have  been 
examining,  to  some  extent,  the  Copfession 
of  Faith  of  your  church,  and  find  it  cor- 
responds with  my  own  views  of  doctrine 
in  the  main,  though  I  find  some  things  to 
which  I  cannot  fully  subscribe.  But,  when 
I  look  at  the  Scri]3tural  references,  I  am 
forced  to  believe  they  are  taught  in  the 
Bible,  and  am  constrained  to  leave  them, 
as  things  I  cannot  understand.  I  do  not, 
however,  find  in  it,  except  in  one  or  two 
places,  anything  like  the  representations 
I  have  had  of  it  from  others,  or  the  dread- 
ful doctrines  quoted  in  the  book  I  gave 
you.     Have  you  examined  it  ? 

Minuter. — I  have  given  it  a  cursory  ex- 
amination, and  have  been  very  much  sur- 
prised that  such  misrepresentations,  and 
dishonest  and  even  false  quotations,  should 
be  put  forth  and  palmed  upon  the  commu- 
nity, under  the  sanction  and  by  the  au- 
thority of  a  church,  that  has  the  name  of 
being  evangelical.  Had  it  been  done  by 
2  (13) 


14     MISREPRESENTATIONS  OF  CALVINISM. 

Universalists,  or  infidels,  it  would  hardly 
have  been  thought  worthy  of  notice  ;  but, 
when  I  see  it  is  *' published  by  order  of  the 
General  Conference"  of  the  Methodist 
church,  I  cannot  but  regret,  that  that  body 
would  sanction,  by  their  authority  and  in- 
fluence, the  publication  and  wide  circula- 
tion of  a  work,  characterized  by  such  an 
entire  want  of  candour  and  honesty,  and 
containing  so  many  palpable  misstate- 
ments. 

Con. — Are  any  of  its  quotations  incor- 
rect? 

Min. — There  is  scarcely  a  single  quota- 
tion correct,  so  far  as  I  have  been  able  to 
examine  it.  The  first  is  a  quotation  from 
our  Confession  of  Faith,  chapter  3,  which 
I  find  on  page  8.  It  pretends  to  quote  the 
language  of  the  Confession,  but  it  gives 
nothing  more  than  a  small  part  of  the  lan- 
guage, so  garbled  as  to  give  it  an  entirely 
difterent  meaning.  The  quotation  is  as 
follows:  "God  from  all  eternity  did  un- 
changeably ordain  whatsoever  comes  to 
pass."  ISTow,  let  me  read  the  language  of 
the  Confession :  "God  from  all  eternity 
did,  by  the  most  wise  and  holy  counsel  of 
his  own  will,  freely  and  unchangeably  or- 
dain whatsoever  comes  to  pass  ;  yet  so,  as 
thereby  neither  is  God  the  author  of  sin  ; 
Eor  is  violence  offered  to  the  will  of  the 


MISREPRESENTATIONS  OF  CALVINISM.     15 

creatures ;  nor  is  tlie  liberty  or  contin- 
gency of  second  causes  taken  away,  but 
rather  established."  I  will,  at  another 
time,  endeavour  to  show  you,  that  this  is 
the  doctrine  of  the  Bible,  and  of  common 
sense.  At  present,  it  will  be  sufficient  to 
say,  that,  as  you  perceive,  whilst  it  asserts 
God's  wise  and  holy  purpose  respecting 
"all  things,"  yet  it  says,  also,  that  he  has 
"so"  ordained  respecting  them,  that  "he 
is  not  the  author  of  sin;"  that  it  does  not 
offer  any  "violence"  or  constraint  "to  the 
will  of  the  creatures,"  and  in  a  way  that 
"establishes,"  rather  than  takes  away, 
"the  liberty,  or  contingency,  of  second 
causes."  So,  you  perceive,  that  when  all 
these  saving  clauses  are  taken  away  from 
the  language  of  the  Confession,  it  has  a 
meaning  entirely  different  from  that  which 
is  intended. 

Con. — I  perceive  the  quotation  is  exceed- 
ingly unfair  and  dishonest. 

Min. — On  the  same  page  is  another, 
equally  unfair,  respecting  the  finally  im- 
penitent. It  reads  thus :  "  The  rest  of 
mankind  God  was  pleased,  for  the  glory 
of  his  sovereign  power  over  his  creatures, 
to  pass  by  and  ordain  them  to  dishonour 
and  wrath."  Kow,  hear  the  language  of 
the  Confession :  "  The  rest  of  mankind, 
God  was  pleased,  according  to  the  un- 


16     MISREPRESENTATIONS  OF  CALVINISM. 

searchable  counsel  of  his  own  will,  where- 
by he  extendeth  or  withholdeth  mercy  as 
he  pleaseth,  for  the  glory  of  his  sovereign 
power  over  his  creatures,  to  pass  by  and 
ordain  them  to  dishonour  and  wrath  for 
their  sin,  to  the  praise  of  his  glorious  jus- 
tice." You  perceive  that  here,  also,  the 
language  of  the  Confession  is  so  garbled, 
as  to  give  it  a  different  meaning  altogether. 
"Whilst  it  asserts  that  God  "passes  by" 
the  finally  impenitent  part  of  mankind, 
(that  is,  he  did  not  determine  to  save 
them,)  and  '^  ordains  them  to  dishonour  and 
wrath,"  yet  it  is  "for  their  sin,"  and  in  a 
manner  that  will  redound  "  to  the  praise 
of  his  glorious  justice."  But  all  this  is 
purposely  left  out  of  the  quotation,  with 
the  design  of  making  it  teach  the  dreadful 
doctrine  of  eternal  reprobation — that  God 
damns  man  from  all  eternity,  without  any 
reference  to  his  sin,  or  any  reason  except 
his  arbitrary  decree. 

Con. — It  is  surprising  that  such  things 
should  be  published  as  true,  and  circu- 
lated with  so  much  confidence.  The  neigh- 
bour who  gave  me  the  book,  said,  that  I 
might  depend  on  it  as  giving,  truly,  the 
views  of  Presbyterians,  and  that  he  had 
the  best  opportunity  of  knowing  what 
their  views  were,  as  he  was  brought  up 


MISREPRESENTATIONS  OF  CALVINISM.     17 

under  Presbyterian  instruction,  and  had 
been  taught  the  catechism  in  his  youth. 

Min. — As  an  evidence  that  he  was  either 
unacquainted  with  the  catechism,  or  with 
the  contents  of  the  book,  I  w^ill  refer  you 
to  another  quotation,  wdiich  I  find  on  page 
195.  It  professes  to  be  from  the  "Assem- 
bly's Catechism,  chapter  5."  ISToav,  as  you 
sa}"  you  have  been  looking  a  little  at  the 
Confession  of  Faith,  you  have  perceived 
that  the  catechisms  are  not  divided  into 
chapters  ;  and,  wdiere  to  find  the  fifth  chap- 
ter of  the  Assembly's  catechism,  we  w^ill 
have  to' ask  "  the  General  Conference,"  by 
whose  order  the  book  has  been  published, 
who  should  have  known,  at  least,  that 
there  were  chapters  in  the  catechism,  be- 
fore they  referred  us  to  one  of  them.  But 
you  Avill,  perhaps,  be  surprised  to  learn, 
that  there  are  not  only  no  chapters  in  the 
catechism,  but  no  such  language  as  is 
quoted.  The  quotation  is  as  follows :  "The 
almighty  power  of  God  extends  itself  to 
the  first  fall,  and  all  other  sins  of  angels 
and  men."  iS'ow,  there  is  no  such  lan- 
guage, or  anything  like  it,  anywhere  in 
either  of  our  catechisms,  nor  is  there  any- 
thing anywhere  in  the  Confession,  to  af- 
ford the  least  ground  for  a  sentiment  so 
grossly  blasphemous  as  this  is  made  to  be, 
in  the  connection  in  which  it  stands.  It 
2* 


18     MISREPRESENTATIONS  OF  CALVINISM. 

is  in  Tract  number  8,  entitled,  "  A  Dia- 
logue between  a  Predestinarian  and  his 
Friend,"  in  wliicb  the  Predestinarian  is 
represented  as  speaking  the  language  of 
Calvinists,  to  prove  that  God  impels  men 
to  sin ;  and,  then,  this  quotation  is  given, 
to  prove  that  our  catechism  teaches,  that 
God's  almighty  power  is  exerted  in  com- 
pelling men  to  sin.  On  page  194,  is  an- 
other quotation  of  the  same  kind,  profess- 
ing to  be  from  the  "Assembly's  Catechism, 
chapter  3."  But  the  third  chapter  of  the 
catechism  will  be  as  difficult  to  find  as  the 
fifth. 

Con. — ^But,  is  there  not  something,  in 
some  other  part  of  the  Confession,  to  give 
a  semblance  of  truth  to  the  quotation  ? 

Min. — Chapter  5,  section  4,  of  the  Con- 
fession, thus  speaks  of  God's  providence : 
"  The  almighty  power,  unsearchable  wis- 
dom, and  infinite  goodness  of  God,  so  far 
manifest  themselves  in  his  providence,  that 
it  extendeth  itself  even  to  the  first  fall,  and 
all  other  sins  of  angels  and  men ;  and  that, 
not  by  a  bare  permission,  but  such  as  hath 
joined  with  it  a  most  wise  and  powerful 
bounding,  and  othenvise  ordering  and  gov- 
erning tliem,  in  a  manifold  dispensation, 
to  his  own  holy  ends,  yet  so  as  the  sinful- 
ness thereof  proceedeth  only  from  the 
creature,  and  not  from  God,  who,  being 


MISREPRESENTATIONS  OF  CALVINISM.     19 

most  holy  and  righteous,  neither  is,  nor 
can  be,  the  author,  or  approver  of  sin." 

ITow,  if  this  was  the  passage  that  was 
intended  by  the  quotation,  it  is  as  dishon- 
est as  if  they  had  made  the  Confession 
speak  the  language  of  Aristotle.  The 
passage,  as  you  perceive,  speaks  of  the 
"almighty  power"  of  God,  as  exercised 
in  his  universal  providence,  restraining 
and  governing  the  sinful  actions  "  of  men 
and  angels,"  and  overruling  them  for  good, 
by  a  "  wise  and  powerful  bounding."  And 
who  but  an  atheist  will  deny  this  ?  It  is 
60  plain  a  doctrine  of  common  sense,  that 
I  need  hardly  stay  to  reason  about  it ;  and 
it  is  found  on  almost  every  page  of  the 
Bible.  The  wickedness  of  Satan,  in  se- 
ducing our  first  parents,  as  well  as  their 
sin,  have  been,  by  his  "  almighty  power, 
unsearchable  wisdom  and  goodness,"  over- 
ruled for  good,  and  "governed  to  his  own 
holy  ends."  So,  also,  the  wickedness  of 
Satan  in  the  case  of  Job,  as  well  as  the 
sins  of  the  betrayer  and  crucifiers  of  the 
Saviour. 

Con. — It  is  certainly  a  plain  dictate  of 
common  sense,  as  well  as  of  the  Bible, 
that  God  overrules  all  things,  and  governs 
the  wicked,  as  well  as  the  righteous.  The 
Psalmist  says,  in  one  place,  that  he  makes 
the  wrath  of  man  to  praise  him,  and  the 


20     MISREPRESENTATIONS  OF  CALVINISM. 

remainder  of  their  wrath,  he  restrains. 
And  I  was  struck  with  the  conciseness 
and  heauty  of  the  language  of  the  Con- 
fession, in  stating  this  important  doctrine. 
But,  that  any  one  would  so  garhle  the 
jDassage,  as  to  make  it  teach  the  doctrine 
that  God's  "almighty  power"  is  exerted 
in  compelling  men  to  sin,  is  very  strange. 
But,  I  ohserved,  that  the  book  gives  quo- 
tations from  Calvin,  Twisse,  Zuinglius, 
Toplady,  and  others.  Are  these  quotations 
equally  incorrect  ? 

Min. — I  have  not  examined  any  of  the 
writers  quoted,  hut  Calvin  and  Toplady. 
But,  I  find  the  quotations  from  these,  are 
of  the  same  character  with  those  from  the 
Confession  of  Faith.  On  page  8,  I  find  a 
reference  to  Calvin's  Institutes,  chapter 
21,  section  1.  Calvin's  Institutes  consists 
of  four  books,  and  these  books  are  divided 
into  chapters  and  sections.  As  the  par- 
ticular book  is  not  referred  to  in  the  quo- 
tation, I  suppose  it  must  be  the  third  that 
is  intended,  as  none  of  the  others  contain 
twenty-one  chapters.  I  have  examined 
chapter  21,  section  1,  of  book  3,  and  can 
find  no  such  language  as  is  quoted,  nor 
anything  like  it.  And,  lest  there  might 
be  a  typographical  error  in  the  reference, 
I  examined  sections  2  and  3,  of  the  same 
chapter,  and  section  1  of  every  other  chap- 


MISREPRESENTATIONS  OF  CALVINISM.     21 

ter  in  the  whole  work,  and  can  iind  no- 
thing of  the  kind.  On  page  97,  there  is 
another  reference  to  Calvin's  Institntes, 
chap.  18,  sec.  1.  As  the  particular  book 
is  not  referred  to,  I  have  examined  chap. 
18,  and  sec.  1,  of  books  1,  3,  and  4,  the 
only  ones  containing  18  chapters,  and  can 
find  no  language  of  the  kind ;  and  am  led 
to  believe,  that  there  is  no  such  language 
in  the  whole  work.  The  quotation  is  as 
follows:  "I  say,  that  by  the  ordination 
and  will  of  God,  Adam  fell.  God  would 
have  him  to  fall.  Man  is  blinded  by  the 
will  and  commandment  of  God.  We  re- 
fer the  causes  of  hardening  us  to  God. 
The  highest,  or  remote  causes  of  harden- 
ing, is  the  will  of  God."  Book  1st,  chap. 
18,  treats  of  the  manner  in  which  "  God 
uses  the  agency  of  the  impious,  and  in- 
clines their  minds  to  execute  his  judg- 
ments, yet  without  the  least  stain  to  his 
perfect  purity" — and,  though  Calvin  uses 
some  expressions  that  I  would  prefer  to 
have  expressed  differently,  yet  no  such 
language  as  the  quotation,  or  anything 
bearing  its  import,  is  to  be  found. 

Con. — Could  you  Und  none  of  the  quo- 
tations referred  to  ? 

3Iin. — On  page  194,  I  find  a  reference 
to  "  Calvin's  Institutes,  Book  1,  chap.  16, 
sec.  3,"  in  the  following  language :  "  IsTo- 


22     MISREPRESENTATIONS  OF  CALVINISM. 

tiling  is  more  absurd  than  to  think  any- 
thing at  all  is  done  but  by  the  ordination 
of  God."  In  the  place  cited,  there  is  no 
such  language,  or  anything  like  it ;  but,  in 
sec.  8,  I  find  Calvin  speaking  of  Augus- 
tine, who,  he  says,  "  shows  that  men  are 
subject  to  the  pro^^dence  of  God,  and  go- 
verned by  it,  assuming  as  a  principle,  that 
nothing  could  be  more  absurd  than  for 
anything  to  happen  independently  of  the 
ordination  of  God,  because  it  would  hap- 
pen at  random."  I  presume  this  was  the 
passage  intended,  but  you  perceive  the 
exceeding  unfairness  of  the  quotation. 
Calvin  is  speaking  of  God's  providence, 
which  overrules  and  directs  everything, 
and  quotes  approvingly  the  sentiments  of 
Augustine,  that  nothing  happens  at  ran- 
dom, as  if  God  had  no  purpose  respecting 
it.  But  the  quotation  makes  Calvin  teach, 
that  God  had  so  ordained  all  things,  that 
he  is  the  author  of  sin. 

Another  quotation,  equally  unfair,  I  find 
on  the  same  page ;  and  here,  for  the  first 
time,  I  find  the  reference  correct,  though 
the  language  is  garbled  and  misrepre- 
sented. It  is  in  Book  1,  chap.  16,  sec.  3. 
The  quotation  is  as  follows:  "Every  ac- 
tion and  motion  of  every  creature,  is  so 
governed  by  the  hidden  counsel  of  God, 
that  nothing  can  come  to  pass  but  what 


MISREPRESENTATIONS  OF  CALVINISM.     23 

was  ordained  by  him."  This  is  made  to 
apply  to  the  actions  of  men,  which  would 
be  unfair,  even  if  the  language  were  quoted 
correctly;  for  Calvin  is  speaking  of  God's 
providence  over  his  irrational  creatures, 
and  arguing  against  "  infidels  who  transfer 
the  government  of  the  world  from  God  to 
the  stars;"  and  adds,  as  encouragement  to 
Christians  under  God's  government,  "that 
in  the  creatures  there  is  no  erratic  power, 
action  or  motion,  but  that  they  are  so  go- 
verned by  the  secret  counsel  of  God,  that 
nothing  can  haj)pen  but  what  is  subject  to 
his  knowledge  and  decreed  by  his  will." 
So  you  perceive,  that  the  language  is  not 
only  widely  different  from  the  quotation, 
but  it  is  on  another  subject  altogether. 
On  page  176,  I  find  a  reference  to  Top- 
lady's  work  on  Predestination,  and  the 
following  sentiment  given  as  his :  "  The 
sum  of  all  is  this  :  One  in  twenty,  suppose 
of  mankind,  are  elected ;  nineteen  in 
twenty  are  reprobated.  The  elect  shall  be 
saved,  do  what  they  will.  The  reprobate 
shall  be  damned,  do  what  they  can."  Then 
follow  some  garbled  extracts  from  Mr. 
Toplady's  work ;  and  an  attempt  is  made, 
by  distorting  their  meaning,  to  prove,  by 
inference,  that  such  is  his  meaning.  I 
need  scarcely  tell  you,  that  neither  Mr. 
Toplady,  nor  any  other  Calvinistic  writer, 


24     MISREPRESENTATIONS  OF  CALVINISM. 

ever  penned  such  a  sentiment.  It  is  a 
gratuitous  forgery.  The  history  of  it  is 
this :  Mr.  Toplady  published  a  work  on 
Predestination,  which,  though  it  contained 
unguarded  expressions,  proved  the  doc- 
trine so  clearly,  that  Arminians  felt  it  was 
dangerous  to  their  system.  To  bring  it 
into  disrepute,  Mr.  John  Wesley  published 
a  pretended  abridgment  of  it,  which  was, 
in  fact,  only  a  gross  caricature  of  the 
work  ;  and  yet  he  put  Mr.  Toplady's  name 
to  it,  as  if  it  was  the  genuine  Avork.  To 
his  garbled  extracts,  he  added  interpola- 
tions of  his  own,  to  give  them  a  different 
meaning,  and  then  closed  the  whole  with 
the  following  sentiment :  "  The  sum  of  all 
is  this :  One  in  twenty,  suppose  of  man- 
kind, are  elected;  nineteen  in  twenty  are 
reprobated.  The  elect  shall  be  saved,  do 
what  they  will :  the  reprobate  shall  be 
damned,  do  what  they  can.  Header,  be- 
lieve this,  or  be  damned.  Witness  my 
hand.  A.  T."  Every  word  of  this  was 
a  forgery  of  his  own.  And  3^et,  he  affixes 
the  initials  of  Mr.  Toplady's  name,  with 
a  "witness  my  hand,"  to  make  his  read- 
ers believe  that  it  was,  in  reality,  Mr.  T.'s 
language.  You  will  find  this,  with  other 
facts  in  the  case,  stated  at  large,  in  Mr. 
Toplady's  letter  to  Mr.  Wesley  on  the  sub- 
ject, appended  to  a  later  edition  of  his 


MISREPRESENTATIONS  OF  CALVINISM.     25 

•work.  Such  facts  need  no  comment.  The 
tract  in  which  I  find  the  sentiment  again 
ascribed  to  Mr.  Toplady,  was  evidently 
written  with  a  design  to  screen  Mr.  Wesley. 
But  such  things  cannot  be  excused,  in  any 
way,  to  hide  their  dishonesty,  when  the 
facts  are  known. 

Con. — Is  this  the  character  of  the  quo- 
tations generally? 

Min. — So  far  as  I  have  examined,  they 
are  generally  of  this  character.  I  have 
marked  ten  or  twelve  more,  which  you 
can  examine  for  yourself,  so  far  as  Calvin's 
Institutes  are  concerned.  I  have  not,  at 
present,  an  opportunity  of  examining  the 
other  works  quoted ;  but,  from  the  char- 
acter of  their  authors,  I  must  believe  they 
are  as  grossly  misrepresented  as  Calvin, 
Toplady,  and  the  Confession  of  Faith.* 

*  What  I  have  said  of  the  "  Doctrinal  Tracts,"  has 
occasioned  some  surprise.  Some  have  even  doubted 
its  truth.  They  think  it  hardly  possible,  that  the 
Methodist  Church  -vNOuld  be  guilty  of  publishing 
such  misrepresentations.  If  the  reader  vrill  take 
the  trouble  to  examine  the  "  Doctrinal  Tracts,"  (the 
edition  published  in  New  York  in  1850,)  he  will  find 
the  quotations  true  to  the  letter.  And  he  will  find, 
also,  that  the  one  half  of  their  enormities  has  not 
been  exposed.  Witness  the  following,  on  page  169 : 
"  This  doctrine  (Predestination)  represents  our  Bles- 
sed Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God 
the  Father,  full  of  grace  and  truth,  as  a  hypocrite,  a 

3 


26     MISREPRESENTATIONS  OF  CALVINISM. 

But,  be  that  as  it  may,  we  are  not  respon- 
sible for  the  opinions  of  either  of  them, 
and  are  therefore  not  bound  to  defend 
them.  But,  as  it  respects  the  Confession 
of  Faith,  the  case  is  diiferent.  For  all  its 
doctrines  we  are  responsible. 

Con. — I  would  be  glad  if  my  mind  could 
be  relieved  of  the  difficulty  under  which 
it  labours,  respecting  some  of  those  doc- 
trines. I  am  at  a  loss  to  reconcile  the  ex- 
pressions that "  God  has  foreordained  what- 
soever comes  to  pass,"  and  "  yet  so  that  he 
is  not  the  author  of  sin,"  &c. 

deceiver  of  the  people,  a  man  void  of  sincerity." 
And  page  170  :  "  It  represents  the  most  holy  God  as 
worse  than  the  devil,  as  both  more  false,  more  cruel, 
and  more  unjust."  And  again,  page  172:  "One 
might  say  to  our  adversary,  the  devil,  '  thou  fool,  why 
dost  thou  roar  about  any  longer  ?  Thy  lying  in  wait 
for  souls,  is  as  needless  and  useless  as  our  preaching. 
Hearest  thou  not  that  God  hath  taken  thy  work  out 
of  thy  hands  ?  And  that  he  doeth  it  nnich  more 
effectually?  "^  *  Thou  temptest;  lie  forceth  us  to  be 
damned.  ^  ^  *  Hearest  thou  not  that  God  is  the 
devouring  lion,  the  destroyer  of  souls,  the  murderer 
of  men  V  "  &c.  And  page  173  :  "  0  how  would  the 
enemy  of  God  and  man,  rejoice  to  hear  that  these 
things  are  so !  *  *  *  How  would  he  lift  up  his  voice 
and  say,  *  *  *  *  Flee  from  the  face  of  this  God,  or 
ye  shall  utterly  perish.  "^  *  *  Ye  cannot  flee  from  an 
omnipresent  Almighty  tyrant.  *  *  *  Sing,  O  hell. 
*  *  *  Let  all  the  sons  of  hell  shout  for  joy,'  "  &c. 
Perhaps  I  owe  an  apology  to  the  reader  for  quoting 
Buch  language. 


MISREPRESENTATIONS  OF  CALVINISM.     27 

J^Hn. — I  think  them  perfectly  reconcila- 
ble on  the  plain  principles  of  common 
sense.  But  we  had  perhaps  better  defer 
this  subject  until  to-morrow  evening. 

Con. — I  will  be  glad  to  embrace  the  op- 
portunity, at  any  time  you  may  have  lei- 
sure. 


DIALOGUE  III. 


DECREES   OF   GOD. 


Minister. — I  think  you  mentioned,  in 
our  last  conversation,  that  one  difficulty 
under  which  your  mind  laboured  respect- 
ing the  doctrine  of  divine  decrees,  was, 
that  it  necessarily  made  God  the  author 
of  sin. 

Convert. — Yes,  sir.  I  cannot  see  if  God 
has,  "from  all  eternity,  foreordained  what- 
soever comes  to  pass,"  without  any  excep- 
tion, how  it  can  be  that  he  is  not  the 
author  of  all  evil  as  well  as  good. 

Min. — The  doctrine  is  not  without  its 
difficulties ;  and,  though  some  of  these 
ma}^  be  removed  by  a  proper  understand- 
ing of  it,  3^et  when  we  attempt  to  follow 
it  out  in  all  its  consequences,  as  with  every- 
thing else  revealed  respecting  Jehovah, 
we  come  to  a  point  at  which  we  are  com- 
pelled to  stop ;  and,  we  must,  with  the 
docility  of  children,  receive  what  is  told 
us,  though  we  cannot  comprehend  it.  The 
doctrine,  however,  to  a  certain  extent,  is 
very  simple  and  plain.  All  admit  that 
(28) 


DECREES  OF  GOD.  29 

God  is  tlie  author  and  disposer  of  all 
things.  IN'othing  takes  place  except  by 
his  agency  or  permission;  or,  in  other 
words,  nothing  can  take  place,  except 
what  he  does,  or  permits  to  be  done.  The 
Bible  represents  his  overruling  Providence 
as  extending  to  all  events,  however  small ; 
the  fall  of  a  sparrow,  or  the  loss  of  a  hair. 
He  rules  the  wicked,  as  well  as  the  right- 
eous ;  and  his  restraining  hand  is  over  all 
in  such  a  way,  that  it  does  not  infringe 
upon  human  liberty.  If  this  were  not  the 
case,  you  perceive,  it  would  be  useless  for 
us  to  pray  that  God  would  restrain  the 
wicked  in  their  designs  against  the  Church, 
or  in  any  other  respect;  and,  indeed,  it 
would  close  the  mouth  of  prayer  almost 
entirely,  to  believe  God  either  could  not, 
or  did  not  govern  all  things,  both  great 
and  small,  ^ow,  though  sin  is  hateful  to 
God,  it  constantly  takes  place  in  his  gov- 
ernment; and,  it  is  atheism  to  say,  he 
could  not  prevent  it ;  for  he  is  not  God,  if 
he  cannot  govern  the  world.  We  must, 
therefore,  conclude,  he  permits  it,  for  rea- 
sons unknown  to  us. 

Con. — That  is  very  plain.  To  say  he 
could  not  govern  and  overrule  all  things, 
according  to  his  pleasure,  would  deprive 
him  of  his  character  as  infinite ;  and,  to 
Bay  that  he  refuses  to  do  it,  and  leaves  the 
3* 


30  DECREES  OF  GOD. 

world  to  manage  itself,  is  not  only  con- 
trary to  the  Bible,  but  is  foolishly  absurd. 
But,  what  connection  has  this  with  the 
doctrine  of  decrees  ? 

Min. — God,  in  his  providence,  fulfills  his 
decrees;  or,  as  the  Bible  expresses  it, 
"what  his  hand  and  counsel  determined 
before  to  be  done" — Acts  iv.  28.  Hence, 
our  catechism  says,  that  "  God  executeth 
his  decrees  in  the  works  of  creation  and 
providence."  His  providence  and  decrees 
are  co-extensive ;  that  is,  what  he  does,  or 
permits  to  be  done,  in  his  providence,  he 
always  designed  to  do  or  permit  in  his 
purpose.  This  is  as  plain  a  proposition  as 
the  other,  and  equally  consistent  with  com- 
mon sense.  When  he  created  the  world, 
he  of  course  did  it  from  design ;  that  is, 
he  did  not  do  it  by  chance,  but  he  de- 
signed to  make  the  world  just  as  he  did 
make  it.  Kow,  when  did  he  form  that 
design  ?  Did  he  form  the  design  of  crea- 
ting the  world,  just  at  the  time  it  was  done, 
or  had  he  it  before  ?  If  the  design  was 
formed  then,  he  is  subject  to  form  new  de- 
signs, and  is  therefore  changeable ;  for,  it 
must  have  been,  that  he  saw  some  reason 
for  creating  a  world  which  he  did  not  see 
before,  or  some  motive  operated  which 
did  not  before.  He  must  have  become 
more  wise,  more  mighty,  or  benevolent,  or 


DECREES  OF  GOD.  31 

have  seen  something  in  a  new  light,  which 
induced  him  to  adopt  the  new  design  of 
creating  the  world.  But  this,  you  per- 
ceive, is  blasphemy;  for  it  would  make 
him  both  finite  and  changeable.  Then, 
we  are  driven  to  the  conclusion,  that  he 
must  have  had  the  design  from  eternity. 
IS'ow,  the  same  reasoning,  applied  to  any- 
thing he  does  in  creation  or  providence, 
will  issue  in  the  very  same  conclusions. 
If  he  convert  a  sinner  to-day,  he  does  it 
from  design.  But,  when  did  he  form  the 
design  ?  Here,  you  perceive,  we  run  into 
the  same  necessity  of  concluding  that  the 
design  was  eternal,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
creation  of  the  world.  The  same  is  true 
with  regard  to  what  he  permits.  He  per- 
mitted our  first  parents  to  fall.  He  per- 
mitted Judas  to  betray  the  Saviour.  He 
permitted  persecution  to  arise  in  the 
Church,  under  Popery,  &c.  Did  he  not 
know  our  first  parents  would  fall,  when  he 
created  them  ?  This,  all  admit.  If,  then, 
he  knew  they  would  fall,  he  determined 
to  permit  them;  that  is,  he  determined 
not  to  prevent  them;  and,  it  is  in  this 
sense,  I  use  the  term  permission.  Then, 
if  he  knew  from  eternity  they  would  fall, 
he  determined,  or  decreed,  from  eternity, 
to  permit  them.  So  with  all  sin  which  he 
sees  fit  not  to  prevent.     He  knew  from 


32  DECREES  OF  GOD, 

eternity  it  would  take  place,  and  decreed 
fi'om  eternity  to  permit  it.  So  we  must 
either  admit  that  what  God  does  or  per- 
mits to  be  done,  he  always  designed  to  do 
or  permit — or  deny  the  perfections  of  his 
character. 

Con. — But  is  this  permission  a  decree  ? 

3Iin. — It  is  as  much  a  decree  as  any- 
thing else.  To  decree,  is  nothing  more 
than  to  determine  beforehand,  or  to  fore- 
ordain ;  and,  to  resolve,  or  determine  to 
do  or  permit  anything,  is  to  decree  it  in 
that  sense.  The  word  decree,  in  the  sense 
in  which  it  is  used  in  the  Bible,  and  the- 
ology, signifies,  "to  determine  the  cer- 
tainty of  a  future  event,  by  positive  agency 
or  permission."  That  which  is  determined 
to  be  done,  is  decreed ;  and  that  which  is 
determined  to  be  permitted,  is  also  de- 
creed, when  there  is  power  to  prevent  it ; 
because,  when  it  is  known,  certainly,  that 
it  will  be  done  unless  prevented,  and  there 
is  a  determination  not  to  prevent  it,  it  is 
rendered  as  certain  as  if  it  were  decreed 
to  be  done  by  positive  agency.  In  the 
one  case,  the  event  is  rendered  certain  by 
agency  put  forth ;  and,  in  the  otlier  case, 
it  is  rendered  equally  certain  by  agency 
withheld.  It  is  an  unchangeable  decree 
in  both  cases.  The  sins  of  Judas,  and  the 
crucifiers   of   the    Saviour,   were   as   un- 


DECREES  OF  GOD.  tA 

changeably  decreed,  perraissively,  as  the 
coming  of  the  Saviour  into  the  world  was 
decreed  positively.  From  this  3^011  can 
perceive  the  consistency  of  the  Confession 
of  Faith  with  common  sense,  when  it  says, 
that  '^  God  from  all  eternity  did,  by  the 
most  wise  and  holy  counsel  of  his  own 
will,  freely  and  unchangeably,  foreordain 
whatsoever  comes  to  pass,"  &c.  You  per- 
ceive, also,  that  this  is  clearly  reconcilable 
with  the  following  sentiment,  that  "he  is 
not  the  author  of  sin,"  &c. 

Con. — Still,  however,  as  God  is  the  au- 
thor of  all,  and  the  originator  of  the  plan, 
does  it  not  still  make  him  the  author  of 
sin,  in  a  certain  sense  ? 

Min. — His  being  the  author  of  the  plan, 
does  not  make  him  the  author  of  the  sin 
that  enters  into  his  plan,  though  he  saw 
fit  not  to  prevent  it.  Perhaps  I  can  make 
this  point,  and  some  others  connected  with 
it,  more  plain  by  an  illustration. 

Suppose  to  yourself  a  neighbour  who 
keeps  a  distillery  or  dram  shop,  which  is  a 
nuisance  to  all  around — neio'hbours  col- 
lecting,  drinking,  and  fighting  on  the  Sab- 
bath, with  consequent  misery  and  distress 
in  families,  &c.  Suppose,  further,  that  I 
am  endowed  with  certain  foreknowledge, 
and  can  see,  with  absolute  certainty,  a 
chain  of  events,  in  connection  with  a  plan 


34  DECREES  OF  GOD. 

of  operations  which  I  have  in  view,  for 
the  good  of  that  neighbourhood.  I  see 
that  by  preaching  there,  I  will  be  made 
the  instrument  of  the  conversion,  and 
consequent  reformation,  of  the  owner  of 
the  distillery,  and  I  therefore  determine 
to  go.  Now,  in  so  doing,  I  positively  de- 
cree the  reformation  of  the  man  ;  that  is, 
I  determine  to  do  what  renders  his  re- 
formation certain,  and  I  fulfill  my  decree 
by  positive  agency.  But,  in  looking  a 
little  further  in  the  chain  of  events,  I  dis- 
cover, with  the  same  absolute  certainty, 
that  his  drunken  customers  will  be  filled 
with  wrath,  and  much  sin  will  be  commit- 
ted, in  venting  their  malice  upon  him  and 
me.  They  will  not  only  curse  and  blas- 
pheme God  and  religion,  but  they  will 
even  burn  his  house,  and  attempt  to  burn 
mine,  l^ow,  you  perceive,  that  this  evil, 
which  enters  into  my  plan,  is  not  charge- 
able upon  me  at  all,  though  I  am  the  au- 
thor of  the  plan  which,  in  its  operations, 
I  know  will  produce  it.  Hence,  it  is  plain, 
that  any  intelligent  being  may  set  on  foot 
a  plan,  and  carry  it  out,  in  which  he  knows, 
with  absolute  certainty,  that  evil  will  enter, 
and  yet  he  is  not  the  author  of  the  evil,  or 
chargeable  with  it  in  any  way. 

Con, — But,  if  he  have  the  power  to  pre- 


DECREES  OF  GOD.  35 

vent  the  evil,  and  do  not,  is  he  not  charge- 
able with  it  ? 

Min. — In  the  case  supposed,  if  I  had 
power  to  prevent  the  evil,  yet  I  might  see 
fit  to  permit  it,  and  yet  not  be  chargeable 
with  it.  Suppose  I  had  power  to  prevent 
those  wicked  men  from  burning  their 
neighbour's  house  ;  yet,  in  looking  a  little 
further  in  the  chain  of  events,  I  discover, 
that  if  they  be  permitted,  they  will  take 
his  life;  and,  I  see,  moreover,  that  if  his 
life  be  spared,  he  will  now  be  as  notorious 
for  good  as  he  was  for  evil,  and  will  prove 
a  rich  blcssino:  to  the  neisrhbourhood  and 
society.  I,  therefore,  permit  them  to  do 
as  they  please.  They,  consequently,  burn 
his  house,  and  come  with  the  design  of 
burning  mine  ;  but,  I  have  things  arranged, 
to  have  them  arrested  and  confined  in 
prison,  whereby  they  will  be  prevented 
from  taking  their  neighbour's  life,  which 
they  otherwise  would,  and  he  is  spared  for 
the  great  good  of  the  community.  There- 
fore, upon  the  whole  plan,  I  determine  to 
act ;  and,  in  so  doing,  I  positively  decree 
the  reformation  of  that  man,  and,  the  con- 
sequent good  ;  and,  I  peiTnissively  decree 
the  wicked  actions  of  the  others ;  yet,  it 
is  very  plain,  that  I  am  not,  in  any  way, 
chargeable  with  their  sins.  Now,  in  one 
or  other  of  these  ways,  God  "  has  foreor- 


36  DECREES  OF  GOD. 

dained  whatsoever  comes  to  pass."  This, 
as  you  know,  is  the  simple  language  of 
our  catechism,  which  has  heen  so  long 
and  loudly  proclaimed  as  the  doctrine  of 
fatality ;  worse  than  infidelity ;  originat- 
ing in  hell,  &c. 

Con. — The  distinction  you  make  be- 
tw^een  positive  and  permissive  decrees,  re- 
lieves my  mind  entirely ;  and,  I  do  not  see 
how  anything  else  can  be  believed  by  any 
one  who  believes  in  the  sovereignty  of 
God,  as  the  author  and  ruler  of  the  uni- 
verse. And,  if  this  be  the  doctrine  of 
your  church  on  the  subject,  it  is  surprising 
that  such  gross  misrepresentations  of  it 
are  so  industriously  circulated,  by  profess- 
ing Christians.  They  surely  do  not  un- 
derstand it.  Is  this  view  of  it  given 
plainly  in  the  Confession  of  Faith  ? 

Min. — I  have  never  seen  it  stated  in  any 
other  work  so  clearly  and  concisely,  as  it 
is  iu  the  Confession  of  Faith.  Chap.  3, 
sec.  1,  which  asserts  the  doctrine  of  de- 
crees, says  expressly,  that  God  has  "so" 
decreed  all  things,  that  he  is  "  not  the  au- 
thor of  sin,  nor  is  ^'iolence  offered  to  the 
will  of  the  creatures,  nor  is  the  libei*ty  or 
contingency  of  second  causes  taken  away, 
but  rather  established."  Chapter  5,  sec- 
tion 4,  thus  speaks :  "  The  ahiiighty  pOAver, 
unsearchable  wisdom,  and  infinite  good- 


DECREES  OF  GOD.  37 

ness  of  God,  so  far  manifest  themselves 
in  his  providence,  that  it  extendeth  itself 
to  the  first  fall,  and  all  other  sins  of  men 
and  angels,  and  that,  not  by  a  bare  per- 
mission, but  such  as  hath  joined  with  it  a 
most  wise  and  powerful  bounding,  and 
otherwise  ordering  and  governing  of  them, 
in  a  manifold  dispensation,  to  his  own  holy 
ends,  yet  so  as  the  sinfulness  thereof  pro- 
ceedeth  only  from  the  creature,  and  not 
from  God,  who,  being  most  holy  and 
righteous,  neither  is  nor  can  be  the  author 
or  approver  of  sin."  Here,  you  perceive, 
the  view  I  gave  is  stated  in  as  plain  lan- 
guage as  could  be  used.  But,  further, 
chap.  6,  sec.  1 :  "  Our  fii'st  parents,  being 
seduced  by  the  subtlety  and  temptation  of 
Satan,  sinned  in  eating  the  forbidden  fruit. 
This,  their  sin,  God  was  pleased,  according 
to  his  wise  and  holy  counsel,  to  permit, 
having  purposed  to  order  it  for  his  own 
glory."  So,  you  perceive,  this  plain  com- 
mon sense  doctrine  is  the  doctrine  of  the 
Confession  of  Faith.  It  now  only  re- 
mains for  me  to  show,  that  it  is  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Bible ;  for,  however  reasona- 
ble it  may  appear,  if  it  be  not  found  there, 
I  will  give  it  up. 

Con. — I  "^^11  be  glad  to  avail  myself  of 
further  instruction  on  this  point,  at  an- 
other time.     I  have  an  engagement  this 
4 


38  DECREES  OF  GOD. 

evening,  that  renders  it  necessary  for  me 
to  deny  myself  the  pleasure  now.  Before 
I  leave,  however,  there  is  one  objection 
which  has  arisen  in  my  mind,  which  I 
would  he  glad  to  have  removed.  If  God 
permitted  evil  to  come  into  the  world,  in 
order  that  he  might  overrule  it  for  good, 
is  not  that  doing  evil  that  good  may  come  ? 
Min. — I  have  not  said,  nor  does  either 
the  Confession  of  Faith,  or  the  Bible  say, 
that  God  permitted  evil  in  order  to  over- 
rule it  for  good.  We  know  nothing  but 
the  simple  facts,  that  he  permitted  it,  and 
has  overruled  it  for  good;  but,  whether 
that  was  his  reason  or  not,  he  has  not  seen 
fit  to  tell  us ;  and,  therefore,  it  is  not  our 
place  to  inquire ;  and,  if  men  would  not 
wish  to  be  wise  above  what  is  written, 
there  would  be  less  controversy  and  differ- 
ence of  opinion. 


DIALOGUE  IV. 


DECREES   OF   GOD. 


Convert. — In  our  last  conversation,  I  nn- 
derstood  from  some  of  your  remarks,  that 
there  is  an  inseparable  connection  between 
God's  decrees  and  foreknowledge.  Yet,  I 
find  the  Confession  of  Faith  says,  in  chap- 
ter 3,  section  2,  that  "he  hath  not  decreed 
an3i:hing  because  he  foresaw  it  as  future, 
or  as  that  which  would  come  to  pass  upon 
8uch  conditions." 

Minister. — You  will  observe  that  the 
Confession  only  says,  that  he  did  not  de- 
cree anything  because  he  foresaw  it — that 
is,  his  foreknowledge  is  not  the  ground, 
or  cause  of  his  decrees ;  still,  they  are  in- 
separably connected.  His  decrees  are  not 
dependent  upon  his  foreknowledge,  nor 
identical  with  it ;  but  his  foreknowledge 
is  rather  dependent  upon  his  decrees, 
though  perfectly  distinct  from  them. 

In  the  case  of  the  distiller,  mentioned 
in  our  last  conversation  as  an  illustration, 
how  could  I  know  certainly  that  I  would 
go  to  that  neighbourhood  to  preach,  if  I 

(39) 


40  DECREES  OF  GOD. 

had  not  determined  to  go  ?  If  my  purpose 
to  go  were  in  any  degree  unsettled  or  un- 
determined, I  could  not  know  certainly 
that  I  would  go.  But,  if  I  had  determined 
to  go,  then  I  would  know  it  certainly. 
So  if  God  knew  that  he  would  create  the 
world,  it  was  because  he  had  determined 
to  do  it.  If  his  purpose  were  unsettled, 
or  if  he  had  not  come  to  the  determina- 
tion to  do  it,  he  could  not  know  it  cer- 
tainly. But  if  he  had  his  purpose  fixed, 
then  he  knew  it  certainly.  It  is  in  this 
sense  that  the  decrees  of  God  and  his 
foreknowledge  are  inseparably  connected. 

Con. — I  understand  it,  I  think,  now, 
perfectly,  and  must  confess  that  the  doc- 
trine of  decrees,  in  all  its  parts,  seems  to 
me  so  reasonable  and  plain,  that  I  am  sur- 
prised, more  and  more,  at  the  virulent  op- 
position which  man}^  professors  of  reli- 
gion manifest  against  it.  I  find,  too,  from 
looking  at  the  scriptural  references  in  the 
Confession  of  Faith,  that  it  is  abundantly 
sustained  by  the  Bible. 

Min. — The  passages  quoted  in  the  Con- 
fession, are  but  a  few  of  the  many  with 
which  the  Scriptures  abound.  Indeed,  the 
doctrine  is  so  interwoven  through  all  the 
promises,  calls,  threatenings,  and  instruc- 
tions of  the  Bible,  that  to  take  it  away, 
would  mar  the  whole.    But  did  you  notice 


DECREES  OF  GOD.  41 

the  peculiar  force  of  the  language  of  the 
Bible  on  this  point  ?  One  of  the  passages 
quoted,  is  Eph.  i.  11 — "  In  whom,  (Christ) 
also  we  have  obtained  an  inheritance,  being 
predestinated  according  to  the  purpose  of 
him  who  worketh  all  thino^s  after  the 
counsel  of  his  own  wHll."  This  is  strono-er 
language  than  can  be  found  anywhere  in 
our  standards.  Here  is  a  "  predestination," 
a  ''purpose,"  and  a  "counsel"  of  God, 
"  according"  to  which  he  "  worketh  all 
things."  Peter,  in  his  first  epistle,!.  20 — 
speaking  of  Christ,  says  he  was  "verily 
foreordained  before  the  foundation  of  the 
world."  ]N'ow  it  is  admitted  on  all  hands, 
that  God  had,  in  the  counsels  of  eternity, 
decreed  to  send  the  Saviour  for  the  re- 
demption of  fallen  man ;  but  how  could 
that  be,  if  the  fall  of  man  was  uncertain  ? 
In  Acts  iv.  27,  28,  we  read  thus:  "Of  a 
truth,  against  thy  holy  child  Jesus,  whom 
thou  hast  anointed,  both  Herod  and  Pon- 
tius Pilate,  with  the  Gentiles  and  people 
of  Israel,  were  gathered  together,  to  do 
whatsoever  thy  hand  and  thy  counsel  de- 
termined before  to  be  done."  Now  can 
any  one  say,  that  the  death  of  Christ  was 
an  uncertain  event  in  the  puq^ose  of  God? 
He  knew^  certainly,  that  they  would  as- 
semble to  take  away  his  life,  and  he  had 
decreed  to  permit  it ;  and  thus  it  was  fixed 
4* 


42  DECKEES  OF  GOD. 

upon  as  certain,  withoiit  the  smallest  pos- 
sibility of  mistake,  with  the  wise  and  al- 
mighty disposer  of  all  events. 

Co7i. — Then  are  we  to  conclude  that 
Judas  and  his  accomplices  could  not  have 
acted  otherwise  ? 

3Iin. — That  does  not  necessarily  follow 
from  the  absolute  certainty  of  their  course. 
They  could  have  acted  otherwise,  if  they 
would.  A  man  has  power  to  do  that  which 
it  is  absolutely  certain  he  will  not  do,  and 
to  refrain  from  doing  that  which  it  is  ab- 
solutely certain  he  will  do.  Had  the  Sa- 
viour called  "twelve  legions  of  angels," 
which  he  said  he  could  have  done,  and 
overcome  the  band  that  came  against  him 
with  Judas,  or  forcibly  prevented  them  in 
any  other  way ;  or  if  he  had  impelled  them 
against  their  will  to  do  as  they  did,  they 
could  not  have  acted  freely.  But  he  left 
them  to  fulfil  his  purpose,  in  doiug  as 
their  wicked  inclinations  prompted  them. 
Hence,  Peter  charges  them  with  the  crime, 
whilst  at  the  same  time  he  declares  that 
they  acted  according  to  the  purpose  of 
God.  Acts  ii.  23 — "Him  being  delivered 
by  the  determinate  counsel  and  foreknow- 
ledge of  God,  ye  have  taken,  and  by 
wicked  hands  have  crucified  and  slain." 
From  this  vou  can  perceive  that  the  Con- 
fession  of  Faith  speaks  the  language  of  the 


DECREES  OP  GOD.  43 

Bible  and  of  common  sense,  when  it  says, 
that  God  has  so  decreed  all  things,  that 
''  no  violence  is  offered  to  the  will  of  the 
creatures,  nor  is  the  liberty  or  contingency 
of  second  causes  taken  away,  but  rather 
established." 

Con. — But  if  God  thus  brings  good  out 
of  evil,  and  the  wicked  actions  of  men  are 
all  thus  overruled  for  his  glory,  why  are 
wicked  men  punished  ? 

Min. — This  is  the  very  objection  that 
the  apostle  meets,  in  Rom.  iii.  5 — "If  our 
unrighteousness  commend  the  righteous- 
ness of  God,  what  shall  we  say  ?  Is  God 
unrighteous  who  taketh  vengeance  ?  (I 
speak  as  a  man)" — that  is,  he  speaks  the 
language  of  a  common  objection,  which 
men  might  be  likely  to  make,  and  no 
doubt  did  make,  then  as  well  as  now. 
But  how  does  he  answer  it?  "God  for- 
bid; for,  then  how  shall  God  judge  the 
world  ?"  The  same  objection  he  meets  in 
the  9th  chapter  and  19th  verse:  "Thou 
wilt  then  say  unto  me.  Why  doth  he  yet 
find  fault ;  for  who  hath  resisted  his  will?" 
And  what  is  his  answer?  "I^ay,  but  0 
man,  who  art  thou  that  repliest  against 
God?"  This  would  be  sufficient;  but  I 
may  add,  that  an  action  being  overruled 
for  good,  cannot,  in  the  smallest  degree, 
lessen  its  criminality.     In  the  case  I  have 


44  DECREES  OF  GOD. 

already  supposed,  my  determination  to 
overrule  for  good  tlie  wickedness  of  those 
men  in  burning  their  neighbour's  house, 
and  attempting  to  burn  mine,  could  not, 
in  any  degree,  lessen  the  criminality  of 
their  actions.  So  you  perceive,  that  God 
can  still  "judge  the  world"  in  righteous- 
ness, as  Paul  asserts,  though  he  overrules 
sin  to  his  own  glory,  and  for  a  greater 
good. 

There  are  hundreds  of  other  passages 
in  the  Bible  equally  as  plain  as  those  I 
have  mentioned.  Isa.  xlvi.  10 — "I  am 
God,  and  ther^  is  none  like  me,  declaring 
the  end  from  the  beginning,  and  from  an- 
cient times  the  things  that  are  not  yet 
done,  saying,  my  counsel  shall  stand,  and 
I  will  do  all  my  pleasure."  Paul,  in  Acts 
xvii.  26,  says,  God  "hath  made  of  one 
blood  all  nations  of  men,  for  to  dwell  on 
all  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  hath  deter- 
mined the  times  before  appointed,  and  the 
bounds  of  their  habitation."  I  shall  cite 
but  one  passage  more,  though  I  might 
produce  a  hundred.  Joseph's  brethren 
were,  like  the  crucifiers  of  the  Saviour, 
very  guilty  in  selling  their  brother  into 
Eg}^t;  but  he  tells  them  plainly.  Gen.  ]. 
20 — "As"  for  you,  ye  meant  it  for  evil 
against  me,  but  God  meant  it  unto  good, 
to  bring  to  pass,  as  it  is  this  day,  to  save 


DECREES  OF  GOD.  45 

much  people  alive."  !N'ow  can  anything 
be  plainer,  than  that  God  intentionally 
permitted  the  selliDg  of  Joseph  for  impor- 
tant reasons,  and  had  decreed  so  to  do,  as 
well  as  to  direct  his  future  course  ?  ^ow  I 
would  ask  any  caudid  man,  Avhether  the 
Confession  of  Faith  pushes  the  doctrine 
of  decrees  further  than  the  Bible? — or, 
whether  common  sense  can  find  any  other 
system  of  doctrine,  consistent  with  the 
character  of  God  ? 

Con. — My  mind  is  perfectly  satisfied  that 
the  doctrine  of  the  Confession  is  both 
reasonable  and  scriptural.  But  I  have  a 
difficulty  still,  with  regard  to  some  of  its 
consequences.  If  all  things  are  so  cer- 
tainly arranged  in  the  purposes  of  God, 
what  encouragement  haA^e  we  to  pray  ? 

Min. — We  have  infinitely  more  encour- 
agement to  pray,  than  if  events  depended 
upon  creatures,  or  were  suspended  in  un- 
certainty. God  has  so  arranged  all  events, 
that  every  effectual  fervent  prayer  of  the 
righteous  shall  be  fulfilled,  and  that  with- 
out resorting  to  miracle,  or  interfering 
with  his  other  purposes.  But  take  away 
the  doctrine,  and  we  have  no  encourage- 
ment to  pray,  that  I  can  conceive  of.  You 
ask  God  to  convert  a  sinner,  but  if  the 
matter  be  not  in  his  hands,  and  is  left  to 
chance,  or  the  sinner's  own  natural  iucli- 


40  DECREES  OF  GOD. 

nations,  you  pray  in  vain.  God  cannot 
interfere  for  fear  of  destroying  free  agency. 
Thus  you  perceive,  that  if  God  be  not  the 
sovereign  disposer  of  all  events,  the  mouth 
of  prayer  is  closed.  But  if  it  be  a  part  of 
his  plan,  certainly  to  answer  every  prayer 
of  faith,  then  we  can  come  to  him  with 
confidence  and  s^reat  encouras^enient. 

Con. — But  does  it  not  discourage  the  use 
of  means  ? 

Mi7i. — In  the  illustration  I  gave  of  the 
distiller,  did  my  determinations  and  ar- 
rangements in  my  plan,  discourage  the  use 
of  the  means  in  carrying  it  out  ?  It  em- 
braced all  the  means  of  its  accomplish- 
ment; and  the  arrangements  of  the  plan 
were  the  ground  of  encouragement  for  the 
use  of  the  means.  So  of  God's  plan.  It 
embraces  all  the  means  of  its  accomplish- 
ment ;  and  when  we  engage  in  his  service, 
'in  the  use  of  his  prescribed  means,  we 
have  the  great  encouragement  of  knomng 
that  it  is  by  these  he  has  determined  to 
accomplish  his  great  work. 

Con. — It  is  to  be  regretted  that  this  doc- 
trine is  by  so  many  misunderstood.  AVould 
it  not  have  been  better  for  the  framers  of 
the  Confession  of  Faith,  to  have  been  a 
little  more  guarded,  and  not  to  have  used 
language  that  was  so  liable  to  be  misun- 
derstood and  perv^erted  ? 


DECREES  OF  GOD.  47 

Mm. — I  know  not  what  they  could  have 
clone  more  than  they  have,  without  de- 
parting from  Scripture  truth.  The  Con- 
fession is  easily  understood  by  any  one 
who  wishes  to  understand  it.  We  may  as 
well  say,  ^shj  did  not  the  writers  of  the 
Bible  use  other  language  ?  There  are 
hundreds  of  passages  in  the  Bible  just  as 
strong  as  any  used  in  the  Confession. 
"Why  did  Paul  say,  "  predestinated  accord- 
ing to  the  purpose  of  him  who  worketh 
all  things  ?"  &c.  Why  did  he  not  leave 
out  the  whole  of  the  first  chapter  to  the 
Ephesians,  and  the  eighth  and  ninth  to  the 
Eomans  ?  Indeed  I  believe  if  the  framers 
of  the  Confession  had  taken  verbatim 
some  passages  of  Scripture,  it  could  not 
have  lessened  the  opposition.  Jude  says, 
there  were  certain  men  "  who  were  before, 
of  old,  ordained  to  this  condemnation." 
is^ow  if  the  framers  of  the  Confession  had 
taken  that  language  as  it  stands,  without 
inserting  the  words  "for  their  sin,"  what 
would  our  enemies  have  said? 

Con. — I  believe  it  is  best  to  follow  the 
Bible,  regardless  of  the  opinions  of  men ; 
and  I  believe  the  truth  will  ultimately  com- 
mend itself  to  all  intelligent  minds.  I 
would  be  glad  to  have  some  further  con- 
versation with  you  on  some  other  doc- 
trines which  I  find  it  difficult  to  under- 


48  DECREES  OF  GOD. 

stand,  if  it  would  not  be  trespassing  too 
much  upon  your  time. 

Min. — I  will  be  glad  to  give  you  all  the 
information  I  can,  and  will  be  at  leisure 
to-morrow  evening,  when  we  will  take  up 
the  doctrine  of  election,  as  it  is  intimately 
connected  with  the  doctrine  of  decrees. 


DIALOGUE  V. 

ELECTION. 

Convert. — Since  our  last  conversation,  I 
have  been  examining  the  Confession  of 
Faith,  and  have  been  not  a  little  surprised 
that  I  cannot  find  the  terms  reprobate,  and 
reprohatio7i,  anywhere  used.  I  thought 
they  were  used  in  contradistinction  to  the 
terms  elect  and  election. 

Minister. — They  are  not  used  in  our 
standards,  I  believe,  anywhere,  though 
vmiformly  charged  upon  us,  as  an  epithet 
by  which  to  excite  odium.  I  have  been 
the  more  surprised  at  this,  because  they 
are  Scripture  terms  ;  and  I  would  have  no 
objection  to  use  them  in  the  sense  in  which 
the  Bible  uses  them.  They  mean,  not  ap- 
proved, or  chosen;  and  if  in  this  sense 
applied  to  the  finally  impenitent,  their  use 
would  be  proper.  But  the  enemies  of  the 
doctrine  of  election  have  coined  a  new 
meaning  for  the  words,  and  then  charge 
us  with  using  them,  with  their  meaning. 
The  doctrinal  tracts  of  the  Methodist 
church,  which  we  examined  some  time 
5  (49) 


50  ELECTION. 

ago,  ring  tlieir  clianges  upon  "election 
and  reprobation,"  as  if  scarcely  anything 
else  were  in  our  standards ;  whereas,  re- 
probation, in  the  sense  in  which  they  use  it, 
is  neither  part  nor  consequence  of  the  doc- 
trine of  election. 

Con, — The  idea  I  have  had  of  the  com- 
mon naeaning  of  the  term  reprobation,  is, 
that  God  made  a  part  of  mankind  merely 
to  damn  them  ;  and  that  he  has,  by  his 
decree  respecting  them,  made  it  impossi- 
ble for  them  to  be  saved,  let  them  do  what 
they  may;  and  that  this  is  a  necessary 
consequence  of  the  doctrine  of  election, 
and  so  necessarily  connected  with  it,  that 
they  must  stand  or  fall  together. 

Min. — 1  know  this  is  the  common  mis- 
representation, but  such  sentiments  are  no- 
where to  be  found  in  our  Confession  of 
Faith,  or  in  any  of  our  standard  writers ; 
and  only  exist  in  the  imaginations  and 
writings  of  errorists,  who  scarcely  ever 
oppose  the  truth  without  misrepresenta- 
tion. Election  has  nothing  to  do  with  the 
damnation  of  a  single  sinner.  It  is  God's 
purpose  of  love  and  mercy,  embracing  in 
itself  the  means  and  agencies  for  carrying 
it  out.  It  embraces  no  decree  or  purpose 
that  hinders  any  one  from  coming  to  Christ 
and  being  saved,  if  they  would.  There  is 
nothing  that  hinders  their  salvation  but 


ELECTION.  61 

their  own  aversion  to  holiness,  and  their 
love  of  sin ;  and  it  is  for  this,  that  God  has 
purposed  to  damn  them. 

Con. — What  then  is  the  doctrine  of 
election,  as  held  by  the  Presbyterian 
church  ? 

Min. — The  best  definition  I  can  give  of 
it,  is  contained  in  the  answer  to  the  30th 
question  in  our  Larger  Catechism :  "  God 
doth  not  leave  all  men  to  perish  in  the  es- 
tate of  sin  and  misery,  into  which  they 
fell  by  the  breach  of  the  first  covenant, 
commonly  called  the  covenant  of  works; 
but  of  his  mere  love  and  mercy,  delivereth 
his  elect  out  of  it,  and  bringeth  them  into 
an  estate  of  salvation,  by  the  second  cove- 
nant, commonly  called  the  covenant  of 
grace."  l^ow  one  simple  question  will 
determine  the  truth  of  this,  on  the  plain 
principles  of  common  sense.  Does  God 
save  all  men  out  of  their  estate  of  sin  and 
misery,  or  does  he  leave  some  to  perish  in 
their  sin,  as  they  choose  ?  If  he  saves  all 
men  "through  the  sanctification  of  the 
Spirit  and  belief  of  the  truth,"  then  the 
doctrine  of  election  is  not  true ;  but  if  he 
-  does  not,  then  it  is  true. 

Con. — It  is  veiT  plain,  that  he  does  not 
save  all  men ;  but  docs  he  not  offer  salva- 
tion to  all  men  ? 

Min. — Certainly.     But  do  you  suppose 


53  ELECTION. 

tliat  nothing  more  is  necessary  for  salva- 
tion than  to  offer  it  ? 

Con. — By  no  means.  I  believe  if  God 
would  leave  men  with  a  mere  offer  of  sal- 
vation, not  one  would  ever  accept  of  it. 
At  least  I  judge  so  from  my  own  experi- 
ence. I  fully  believe,  if  he  had  not  come 
with  the  influences  of  his  Spirit,  I  should 
have  listened  carelessly  to  the  calls  of 
the  Gospel,  until  death  would  have  sealed 
my  doom  for  ever ;  and  I  feel  that  I  can- 
jiot  be  too  thankful  for  his  unspeakable 
mercy. 

Min. — You  believe  then,  that  salvation 
is  entirely  of  God;  or  as  the  apostle  ex- 
presses it,  he  is  "the  author  and  finisher 
of  our  faith ;"  and  that  he  has  done  a 
work  in  this  respect  for  you,  which  he  has 
not  done  for  your  unconverted  neighbour. 
But  do  3'Ou  suppose  it  was  on  account  of 
an}i:hing  naturally  good  in  yourself,  that 
he  made  the  difference  ? 

Con. — I  can  take  no  praise  to  myself. 
I  was  running  the  same  course  with  my 
wicked  companions  ;  and  in  some  respects 
I  believe  I  was  the  most  wicked  of  all.  I 
know  and  feel  that  it  is  all  of  grace,  and 
can  truly  say,  it  is  "by  the  grace  of  God 
I  am  what  I  am." 

Min. — ^Your  experience  in  this  respect, 
corresponds  with  the  language  of  Scrip- 


ELECTION.  53 

ture,  1st  Cor.  iv.  7 — "Wlio  maketli  tliee 
to  differ  from  another;  and  what  hast 
thou,  that  thou  didst  not  receive?"  Eph. 
ii.  1 — "You  hath  he  quickened,  who  were 
dead  in  trespasses  and  sins."  John  i.  13 
— "Which  were  born,  not  of  blood,  nor 
of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will  of 
man,  but  of  God."  Tit.  iii.  5— "IS^t  by 
works  of  righteousness  which  we  have 
done,  but  according  to  his  mercy  he  saved 
us,  by  the  washing  of  regeneration,  and 
the  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  Indeed 
the  Bible  everywhere  ascribes  salvation  en- 
tirely to  God ;  and  I  have  never  yet  been 
able  to  find  a  true  Christian  who  felt  he 
had  any  ground  of  boasting,  as  being  in 
any  sense,  or  in  any  degree,  the  author  of 
his  own  regeneration.  But  as  you  ascribe 
the  work  entirely  to  God,  do  you  suppose 
he  intended  vour  >eo-eueration  and  con- 
version,  when  he  came  in  mercy  by  his 
Spirit ;  or  was  it  accidentally  done,  with- 
out any  gracious  design  towards  you  ? 

Con. — I  can  hardly  suppose  you  serious 
in  asking  such  a  question. 

Min. — It  does  imply  an  absurdity.  A 
man  who  acts  without  design,  or  purpose, 
is  accounted  foolish ;  and  it  would  be  both 
absurd  and  impious,  to  impute  anything 
of  the  kind  to  God.  But  I  proposed  the 
question  preparatory  to  another.  If  God 
5* 


54  ELECTION. 

acted  with  a  gracious  design  in  thus  chang- 
ing your  heart,  when  did  he  form  that  de- 
sign? Do  you  suppose  he  conceived  a 
gracious  purpose  towards  you  at  the  time, 
or  had  he  it  previously?  And  if  he  had 
it  previously,  wheu  was  it  first  formed  ? 

Co7i. — It  must  have  been  eternal,  for  he 
cannot  have  any  new  designs.  With  him 
there  cannot  be  any  succession  of  time. 
He  is  "from  everlasting  to  everlasting;" 
and  as  his  existence  is  eternal,  and  "  his 
understanding  infinite,"  all  his  designs  and 
purposes  must  be  eternal.  And  when  I 
think  of  his  "gracious  thoughts"  towards 
me,  and  attempt  to  trace  them  to  their 
fountain,  I  find  myself  lost  in  eternity. 

Min. — You  have  now  expressed  every- 
thing that  is  intended  and  embraced  in  the 
doctrine  of  election.  It  is  simply  grace 
traced  to  its  eternal  source.  It  is  the  de- 
sign or  purpose  of  God,  to  accomplish 
that  work  of  grace  in  the  heart,  which  be- 
lievers experience  in  regeneration,  and  to 
carry  it  on  to  perfection  and  glory,  ^ow 
the  simple  question  is.  Did  he  purpose  to 
accomplish  this  work  of  grace  in  the  hearts 
of  all  men  ?  This  no  man  of  common 
sense  can  believe.  So  you  perceive,  we 
must  either  deny  the  doctrine  of  regene- 
ration and  sanctification  by  grace,  or  ad- 
mit the  doctrine  of  election.     Those  who 


ELECTION.  55 

pretend  to  believe  that  salvation  is  entirely 
by  the  grace  of  God,  and  yet  deny  the 
doctrine  of  election,  can  lay  but  few  claims 
either  to  consistency,  or  common  sense. 

Con. — But  does  not  the  believer  do 
something  in  his  own  conversion  ? 

Min. — The  action  of  the  mind  in  believ- 
ing and  turning  to  God,  is  the  believer's 
own  work ;  that  is,  he  believes.  God  does 
not  believe  for  him.  But  this  is  the  fruit 
of  regeneration  ;  and  they  are  so  inti- 
mately and  inseparably  connected  that 
persons  do  not  always  distinguish  between 
them.  They  are,  however,  clearly  distinct. 
Breathing  is  the  result  of  life,  and  always 
inseparably  connected  with  it.  A  person 
must  live  in  order  to  breathe,  yet  breath- 
ing is  the  operation  of  life,  not  life  itself. 
So  in  spiritual  life.  Regeneration  is  the 
giving  of  life  ;  and  holy  exercises  are  the 
operations  or  action  of  a  "quickened" 
soul.  Your  own  experience  will  perhaps 
be  the  best  illustration  of  the  fact.  Though 
convinced  of  sin,  and  dreading  its  conse- 
quences, you  felt  a  strong  disinclination  to 
give  yourself  to  God,  on  the  terms  of  the 
Gospel ;  but  you  were  afterwards  brought 
to  see  its  beauty,  and  its  perfect  adapted- 
ness  to  your  case.  It  was  the  same  Gospel, 
and  the  same  Saviour,  who  had  been 
offered  before,  but  you  seemed  to  view 


56  ELECTION. 

them  in  a  new  light.  Yon,  in  short,  felt 
your  \T.ews  of  God  and  religion  changed, 
in  a  way  that  led  you  to  desire  and  seek 
what  you  formerly  disliked  and  slighted. 
l!^ow  it  is  this  change  of  views  and  feel- 
ings, that  is  called  regeneration,  and  is 
the  work  of  God  ;  and  the  exercises  of 
love,  faith,  and  hope,  and  the  action  of 
giving  yourself  to  God,  consequent  upon 
your  change  of  feelings,  is  conversion. 
Now  it  is  admitted  on  all  hands,  that  you 
acted  freely,  and  felt  that  you  were  exer- 
cising and  doing  those  things  yourself; 
but  the  question  is.  Did  you  change  your 
own  feelings  ?  This  you  have  said,  and 
the  Bible  everyvs^here  declares,  is  the  work 
of  God.  In  doing  it  he  accomplished  a 
gracious  design,  which  he  had  toward  you 
from  eternity;  and  that  gracious  design 
was  your  election.  Hence  it  is  sometimes 
called  personal  election,  because  God  has 
the  same  gracious  design  toward  each  in- 
dividual whom  he  calls. 

Con. — It  is  surely  a  doctrine  that  is  cal- 
culated to  excite  gratitude  in  the  heart  of 
a  Christian;  but  does  it  not  show  par- 
tiality in  God,  in  doing  more  for  some  than 
others  ? 

Min. — God  distinguishes,  it  is  true,  but 
he  is  not  partial ;  for  partiality  means  a 
preferring  one    before   another,   without 


ELECTION.  57 

sufficient  reasons,  or  overlooldng  just 
claims.  If  any  of  the  human  family  could 
claim  anything  at  the  hand  of  God,  thei-e 
would  he  cause  of  complaint,  that  some 
were  passed  hy  in  his  purpose  of  mercy. 
But  when  all  equally  deserve  hell,  if  he 
see  fit  to  save  some,  for  a  display  of  his 
mercy,  and  leave  others  to  the  fate  they 
choose,  for  a  display  of  his  justice,  though 
the  former  have  great  ground  of  gratitude, 
the  others  have  no  cause  of  complaint. 

Suppose  the  monarch  of  some  mighty 
empire  hears  that  some  province  of  his 
dominions  has  rehelled.  Having  no  pleas- 
ure in  their  death,  he  sends  them  an  offer 
of  pardon  upon  consistent  terms,  and  they 
all  refuse  to  accept  it.  Still  inclined  to 
mercy,  he  sends  out  ambassadors,  who  use 
every  entreaty  with  the  rebels,  but  in  vain. 
They  call  their  monarch  a  tyrant,  and  per- 
sist in  their  wicked  rebellion.  The  com- 
passionate monarch,  still  unwilling  to  give 
them  up,  goes  among  them  himself,  and 
by  his  own  personal  influence,  prevails  on 
a  greater  part  of  them  to  accept  his  pro- 
posals of  pardon.  But  as  such  signal  ob- 
stinacy ought  not  to  go  unpunished,  he 
executes  the  sentence  of  the  law  on  the 
rest.  Thus  the  greater  part  are  reconciled, 
and  the   rest   are   punished.     iSTow  who 


§8  ELECTION. 

could  accuse  the  monarch  of  partiality,  or 
blame  his  course  ? 

But  vary  the  case  a  little.  Suppose  this 
monarch  has  foreknowledge,  and  can 
clearly  foresee  the  rebellion  long  before  it 
takes  place.  He  reasons  with  himself 
thus :  "  I  see  that  some  years  hence,  part 
of  my  kingdom  will  rebel.  Well,  I  will 
send  them  a  proposal  of  pardon.  But  I 
know  they  will  all  reject  it.  I  will  then 
send  special  messengers  to  explain  to  them 
their  danger,  and  the  honourable  manner 
in  which  I  wish  to  save  them,  and  to  use 
every  entreaty  to  bring  them  back  to  their 
allegiance.  But  I  see  they  will  reject  all. 
I  will  then  go  myself,  and  prevail  on  the 
greater  part  of  them  to  accept  my  offer, 
and  will  punish  the  remainder  as  ensam- 
ples  to  my  whole  empire.  But  seeing  that 
my  proclamation  and  my  messengers  will 
effect  nothing,  shall  I  omit  to  send  them  ? 
"No,  I  will  send  them  to  convince  all  of 
my  sincerity  in  offering  pardon  and  mercy; 
to  show  what  obstinacy  existed  in  the 
hearts  of  the  rebels :  and  to  con^ance  all 
of  the  wisdom,  justice,  and  mercy  of  my 
proceedings." 

Now  can  we  find  any  more  reason  to 
blame  the  monarch,  because  his  deter- 
minations were  formed  previously  to  the 
rebellion  ?    Can  we  condemn  him  for  tak- 


ELECTION.  59 

ing  tlie  course  he  ought  to  have  taken,  if 
his  purposes  had  not  been  formed  until 
the  time  ?  Was  he  partial  in  determining 
to  make  a  public  example  of  some  of  the 
rejecters  of  his  mercy  ?  Can  any  one  say 
that  his  determination  to  save  some, 
wi'onsced  the  others  ?  Did  his  decree  to  save 
some,  fix  the  condition  of  the  others,  so 
that  it  was  impossible  for  them  to  accept 
his  offer  of  pardon  ?  They  fixed  their 
condition  themselves.  They  were  "or- 
dained to  wrath  and  dishonour  for  their 
sins."  But  will  any  one  blame  him  for 
not  constraining  all  to  accept  his  ofter  ? 
This  were  to  allow  him  no  room  for  the 
exercise  of  discretion.  Or  will  any  one 
say  he  ought  not  to  have  used  his  influ- 
ence to  persuade  any,  but  left  all  alike? 
Then  there  would  have  been  no  objects 
upon  whom  to  exercise  mercy. 

l!^ow  though  we  cannot  find  an  illustra- 
tion that  will  exactly,  in  all  points,  meet 
the  case,  yet  I  have,  I  believe,  in  this,  ex- 
hibited our  view  of  election  in  every  ma- 
terial point,  and  you  can  easily  make  the 
application  of  it  in  your  own  mind  to  God, 
as  the  sovereign  of  the  universe,  and  this 
world  a  rebellious  province.  God  in  infi- 
nite mercy,  has  oftered  pardon  to  the 
rebels  of  Adam's  race,  through  his  Son. 
His  language  is,  "  Whosoever  will,  let  him 


60  ELECTION. 

come."     But  all   refuse;    and  if  left  to 
themselves,  every  individual  of  mankind 
will  reject  the  offer,  and  everlastingly  per- 
ish.    Christ  would  have  died  in  vain,  and 
there  could  be  no  trophies  of  his  mercy. 
But  God  determined  that  this  should  not 
be  the   case.      He   sends  his   Spirit,  and 
sweetly  constrains  them  to  yield,  in  a  man- 
ner that  will  for  ever  redound  to  the  praise 
of  his  mercy  and  grace.     What  proportion 
of  the  human  family  he  has  included  in 
his  purpose  of  mercy,  we  are  not  informed ; 
but,  in  view  of  the  future  days  of  prosperity 
promised   to  the  church,  it  may  be    in- 
ferred that  the  greater  part  will,  at  last,  be 
found  among  the  number  of  the  elect  of 
God.     But  although   the  number  is  un- 
known to  us,  it  is  "  certain"  and  "  defi- 
nite" with  God;  so  that  he  cannot  be  dis- 
appointed, either  in  finding  among  them 
one  whom  he  did  not  expect,  or  in  losing 
one  he  purposed  to  save.     This  is  what 
our  Confession  of  Faith  means,  and  all  it 
means,  in  saying  that  the  number  is  so 
"  certain  and  definite,  that  it  cannot  be 
increased  or  diminished." 

I  have  now,  I  think,  shown  you  that 
the  doctrine  of  election  is  in  every  point, 
a  plain  dictate  of  common  sense.  I  wish 
also  to  show  you  that  it  must  be  true, 


ELECTION.  61 

from  the  character  of  God  and  the  Bible. 
But  our  conversation  has  been  sufficiently 
protracted  at  this  time.  Call  when  you 
have  leisure,  and  we  will  pursue  the  sub- 
ject further,  in  the  light  of  God's  w^ord. 

6 


DIALOGUE  Yl. 


ELECTION. 


Convert. — Since  our  last  conversation,  I 
have  been  reflecting  on  the  views  you  pre- 
sented, and  am  constrained  to  acknow- 
ledge, that  I  can  find  no  other  doctrine 
consistent  with  facts,  the  character  of  God, 
and  the  Bible.  It  is  a  fact  that  must  be 
conceded,  that  God  is  the  author  of  re- 
generation; and  this  once  conceded,  the 
doctrine  of  election  must  be  true,  or  we 
at  once  deny  his  character  as  infinite.  But 
still  there  are  some  consequences  of  the 
doctrine,  which  seem  to  me  irreconcilable 
wath  God's  goodness  and  sincerity,  in 
offering  pardon  to  sinners.  Does  it  not 
render  it  necessary  that  some  must  be  lost, 
and  some  must  be  saved  ? 

Minister. — You  fiiil  to  distinguish  be- 
tween necessity  and  certainty.  If  you 
were  to  say,  it  renders  it  certain  that  some 
will  be  lost,  and  some  will  be  saved,  then 
you  have  the  true  issue  ;  but  this,  you  per- 
ceive, alters  the  case  materially.  There 
is  no  necessity  placed  upon  the  impenitent 
(62) 


ELECTION.  63 

to  refuse  the  offers  of  the  Gospel,  though 
God  knows  certainly  they  will.  But  even 
that  certainty  does  not  flow  from  the  doc- 
trine of  election.  Take  away  the  doctrine, 
and  see  if  the  case  will  be  any  better. 
Will  any  be  saved  without  election,  that 
will  not  be  saved  with  it  ?  If  you  take 
aAvay  God's  special  purpose  to  save,  every 
sinner  of  Adam's  race  will  most  certainly 
perish. 

Con. — But  still  it  seems  that  God  can- 
not be  sincere  in  offering  salvation  to  all 
men,  when  it  is  certain  that  some  will  not 
accept  it. 

Min. — If  he  had  formed  no  purpose  to 
save  any,  and  offered  salvation  to  all, 
knowing  they  would  refuse,  could  he  be 
sincere  V 

Con. — Certainly ;  for  if  they  would  ac- 
cept, they  would  be  saved.  Besides,  he 
might  otfer,  knowing  certainly  they  w^ould 
refuse,  to  show  his  willingness  to  save,  and 
the  justice  of  their  condemnation. 

31ln. — You  have  now  answered  the  ob- 
jection; for  God's  purpose  to  save  some, 
does  not  affect,  in  any  point,  the  light  in 
which  he  stands  to  the  rest,  or  the  relation 
in  which  they  stand  to  him.  They  are  left. 
just  as  they  were ;  and  still,  if  they  would 
accept  his  offer,  they  would  infallibl}^  be 
saved ;  and  it  is  just  as  much  their  duty 


64:  ELECTION. 

to  repent  and  be  saved,  as  if  he  had  elected 
none. 

Con. — But  will  the  doctrine  not  discour- 
age the  use  of  means,  and  making  exer- 
tions to  obtain  salvation  ? 

3fin. — To  whom  can  it  be  discouraging  ? 
Surely  not  to  ministers  of  the  Gospel. 
"When  Paul  was  preaching  at  Athens,  he 
was  discouraged  until  God  preached  to 
§  him  the  doctrine  of  election.  In  the  midst 
of  his  discouragement,  how  cheering  it 
must  have  been  to  be  told  of  God,  ''  Be 
not  afraid,  but  speak,  *  *  for  I  have  much 
people  in  this  city." — Actsxviii.  10.  jSTow 
here  we  have  election  from  the  mouth  of 
God ;  and  what  could  be  more  encourasr- 
mg  than  to  be  thus  informed,  that  God  in- 
tended to  convert  a  number  of  that  wicked 
city  through  the  instrumentality  of  his 
preaching?  jS'ow  jou  will  observe,  God 
did  not  tell  Paul  he  had  all  the  city,  nor 
how  manv.  It  was  enous-h  for  Paul  to 
knoAV  he  had  some.  He  could  tben  go 
forward,  confident  of  success.  Take  from 
me  the  doctrine  of  election,  and  I  have 
not  the  least  hope  of  success.  But  when 
I  know  that  God  has  determined  to  save 
a  vast  number  of  the  human  family  in 
every  age,  "by  the  foolishness  of  preach- 
ing," I  can  go  forward  in  the  use  of  his 
appointed  means,  with  confident  hope. 


ELECTION".  65 

N'eitlier  can  it  be  discouraging  to  sin- 
ners. It  is  the  sinner's  only  hope.  Take 
it  away,  and  despair  mnst  shroud  the  whole 
race  of  Adam.  But  the  sinner  can  now 
come  to  God,  trusting  in  his  special  pur- 
pose of  mercy,  feeling  that  his  help  is  laid 
upon  one  who  is  mighty  to  save,  and  who 
will  infallibly  save  every  one  who  comes 
to  him  through  Christ.  I  know  the  doc- 
trine sometimes  makes  careless  sinners 
uneasy,  and  wicked  men  uniformly  hate 
it.  But  what  does  that  amount  to  ?  Simply 
this.  They  refuse  mercy,  and  wickedly 
reject  God's  grace  ;  and  knowing  that  they 
cannot  be  saved  in  sin,  and  being  unwill- 
ing to  repent,  they  hate  the  whole  system 
of  grace.  But  if  any  one  truly  desires 
salvation,  and  wishes  to  turn  from  sin,  he 
finds  in  the  doctrine  of  election  the  rich- 
est encouragement.  Would  it  not  be  en- 
couraging to  the  people  of  Corinth,  to 
know  that  God  had  purposed  to  convert  a 
number  of  them,  and  make  them  trophies 
of  the  cross  ?  But  is  the  doctrine  discour- 
aging to  the  praying  Christian  ?  He  ac- 
knowledges the  truth  of  it  every  time  he 
prays  that  God  would  convert  sinners,  and 
build  up  his  Church.  And  it  is  the  fact, 
that  God  has  promised  to  give  this  w^orld 
to  his  Son,  and  gather  the  vast  multitude 
of  his  elect  from  every  nation,  that  is  his 
6* 


66  ELECTION. 

only  encouragement  to  pray.  I  have,  in- 
deed, sometimes  wondered  what  encour- 
agement those  have  to  pray,  who  deny  the 
doctrine.  K  it  be  not  true  that  the  work 
is  God's,  and  he  has  purposed  to  carry  it 
on,  why  need  any  one  pray  ?  If  the  work 
be  left  to  the  decisions  of  sinners,  or  to 
chance,  the  proper  course  would  be  to  pray 
to  those  who  have  the  work  to  do.  It  is 
foolishly  absurd,  as  well  as  impious,  to 
deny  that  the  work  is  God's,  and  then  pray 
that  he  would  do  it.  So  you  perceive  it  is 
the  denial  of  the  doctrine,  that  discour- 
ages prayer.  But  what  encouragement  it 
afibrds,  to  know  that  God  has  purposed  to 
carry  on  this  glorious  work,  until  the 
blessed  religion  of  Jesus  shall  triumph 
over  the  whole  world,  and  has  declared, 
too,  that  it  will  be  done,  in  answer  to  the 
earnest  prayers  of  his  people. 

Con. — I  see  much  depends  upon  a  right 
understanding  of  the  doctrine.  But  still, 
is  it  not  calculated  to  do  harm  ? 

Min. — How  can  it  do  harm  ?  We  have 
seen  that  it  contains  the  only  ground  of 
hope  to  the  minister  as  well  as  the  sinner. 
"Who  was  a  more  zealous  advocate  for  the 
doctrine  than  Paul  ?  There  is  no  modern 
writer  who  states  the  doctrine  so  plainly, 
or  in  so  forcible  language ;  and  yet  who 
was  more  zealous  and  indefatigable  in  la- 


ELECTION.  67 

boiirs?  And  the  reason  is  plain.  He 
knew  that  God  had  determined  to  save  a 
great  many  in  the  world,  and  had  placed 
the  instrumentalit}^  in  his  hands.  This, 
with  love  to  his  Master,  constituted  the 
glorious  motive  that  actuated  him  in  all 
his  lahours.  Can  it  do  harm  for  a  minis- 
ter to  believe  that  God,  the  Father,  has 
promised  the  'Saviour  ''a  seed,"  which 
shall  surely  be  gathered,  as  the  glorious 
reward  of  his  sulferings  ?  and  that  his  is 
the  important  work,  so  far  as  instrumen- 
tality is  concerned,  of  gathering  this  prom- 
ised seed  to  the  Saviour  ?  Could  there 
be  any  higher  motive  placed  before  the 
mind  of  a  true  lover  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  ?  Or  can  it  do  harm  to  preach  this 
doctrine  as  a  motive  to  Christian  effort,  or 
as  an  inducement  for  sinners  to  believe  ? 
"When  a  sinner  is  told  that  there  is  nothing 
on  the  part  of  God  to  keep  him  away ; 
that  there  is  nothing  but  his  own  unwil- 
lingness and  hatred  of  God,  that  stands  in 
the  way  of  his  acceptance  ;  and  that  if  he 
will  only  give  himself  to  God,  on  the 
terms  of  the  Gospel,  he  will  be  among 
those  whom  God  has  purposed  to  save ;  he 
has  the  greatest  encouragement  that  can 
be  given,  to  look  to  God  for  grace,  and 
pray  that  he  may  be  included  in  the  num- 
ber of  his  chosen. 


68  ELECTIOX. 

But  I  grant  there  is  one  way  in  which 
these  doctrines  are  the  occasion  of  harm. 
When  our  enemies  misrepresent  them, 
and  endeavour  to  make  people  believe 
that  we  make  God  the  author  of  sin;  that 
we  deny  free  agency,  and  the  use  of  means ; 
and  loudly  proclaim  that  our  doctrine 
''came  from  hell,  and  leads  to  hell;"  and 
that,  "according  to  our  bel?ef,  sinners  may 
rest  secure,  the  elect  must  be  saved,  and 
the  rest  must  be  damned,  do  what  they 
may,"  &c.,  people  will  take  occasion  to 
say,  "if  so  large,  respectable,  and  upright 
a  class  of  Christians,  believe  a  doctrine 
which  is  pronounced  '  worse  than  infidel- 
ity,' there  is  no  truth  in  religion."  In  this 
way  the  doctrine  is  the  occasion  of  much 
harm.  But  because  others  wickedly  "turn 
the  truth  of  God  into  a  lie,"  must  we, 
therefore,  give  it  up  ?  AYe  may  as  well 
say  that  Christ  should  not  have  preached 
concerning  "his  kingdom,"  because  he 
was  wickedly  misrepresented  as  claiming 
an  earthly  crown. 

Con. — I  know  such  assertions  are  often 
made ;  and  I  could  not  but  wonder  that  such 
awful  doctrines  were  believed  by  a  class 
of  Christians  that  seemed  so  generally 
pious  and  upright  in  their  deportment,  and 
at  the  same  time  so  zealous  in  the  cause 
of  Christ.     I  found  them  as  a  body,  gene- 


ELECTION.  6f' 

rally,  the  most  liberal  in  sustaining  the 
cause  of  benevolence,  and  making  at  least 
full  as  many  sacrifices  and  efforts  for  the 
spread  of  the  Gospel,  as  any  others. 

Min. — Let  us  now  attend  to  some  direct 
proofs  of  the  doctrine  of  election ;  and  I 
would  remark  that  it  must  be  true,  in  the 
first  place,  from  the  character  of  God  and 
his  promises. 

La^'ing  aside  the  thousand  other  prom- 
ises he  has  made  on  this  subject  to  his 
church  and  people,  I  will  only  mention  the 
reward  promised  to  the  Saviour.  "Would 
Christ  suffer  and  die  on  an  uncertainty? 
AVould  the  Father  subject  his  Son  to  all 
the  infinite  load  of  wrath  which  he  bore 
for  sinners,  without  any  certain  prospect 
of  an  adequate  result  ?  And  if  he  himself 
had  not  made  it  certain,  how  could  it  be 
certain  ?  If  it  were  placed  in  any  other 
hands  but  his,  it  could  not  be  certain. 
Let  us  for  a  moment  suppose  that  God 
has  not  positively  determined  to  bring  any 
one  to  Christ ;  and  where  is  the  certainty 
that  any  will  come  ? 

Con. — In  that  case  it  would  be  certain 
that  none  would  come. 

jMin. — Then  you  perceive  we  are  at  once 
driven  to  the  conclusion  that  he  deter- 
mined to  "make  them  willing,"  or  there 
could  be  no  certainty  that  the   Saviour 


70  ELECTION. 

should  "  see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul,  and 
be  satisfied."  We  might  reason  in  the 
same  way  respecting  all  the  attributes  of 
God.  It  is  inconsistent  with  any  one  of 
them  to  deny  his  special  purpose  of  mercy. 
But  enough  has  been  said,  in  the  light  of 
reason.  Let  us  examine  the  Bible,  and 
see  if  it  teaches  the  doctrine  ;  for  however 
reasonable  it  may  appear,  if  it  be  not 
plainly  taught  there,  we  must  give  it  up. 
Eph.  i.  4 — "According  as  he  hath  chosen 
us  in  him  before  the  foundation  of  the 
world,  that  we  should  be  holy  and  ^^dthout 
blame,  before  him,  in  love;"  and  that  his 
naeaning  might  be  the  more  plain,  he  adds 
in  the  5th  verse,  "  Having  predestinated 
us  unto  the  adoption  of  children,  by  Jesus 
Christ,  to  himself,  according  to  the  good 
pleasure  of  his  will."  And  in  the  11th 
verse  of  the  same  chapter,  he  says,  "In 
whom  also  we  have  obtained  an  inheri- 
tance, being  predestinated  according  to  the 
purpose  of  him  who  worketh  all  things 
after  the  counsel  of  his  own  will."  Does 
not  this  look  like  the  doctrine  of  election  ? 
But  again,  Eom.  viii.  28 — "We  know  that 
all  things  work  together  for  good,  to 
them  that  love  God ;  to  them  who  are  the 
called,  according  to  his  purpose."  "For, 
whom  he  did  foreknow,  he  also  did  pre- 
destinate to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of 


ELECTION.  7f 

his  Son.  *  *  Moreover,  wliom  he  did 
predestinate,  them  he  also  called,  and  whom 
he  called,  them  he  also  justilied,  and  whom 
he  justified,  them  he  also  glorified."  Now 
if  the  doctrine  of  election  he  not  true,  we 
may  safely  challenge  any  man  to  tell  us 
what  the  apostle  means  by  such  language. 
But  in  2  Thess.  ii.  11 — 13,  he  uses  still 
stronger  language:  "And  for  this  cause, 
God  shall  send  them  strong  delusion  that 
they  should  believe  a  lie,  that  they  all 
might  be  damned,  who  believed  not  the 
truth,  but  had  pleasure  in  unrighteous- 
ness." Is  the  language  of  our  Confession 
stronger  than  this,  when  it  says,  they  were 
"ordained  to  wrath  and  dishonour  for 
their  sins."  People  may  call  this  repro- 
bation, or  give  it  any  other  opprobrious 
epithet,  and  say,  "it  originated  in  hell," 
&c. ;  but  there  it  is  in  the  language  of 
Paul,  much  more  strongly  expressed  than 
in  our  Confession.  But  in  the  very  next 
verse,  we  have  the  doctrine  of  election, 
expressed  in  language  equally  strong: 
"But  we  are  bound  to  give  thanks  alway 
to  God,  for  you,  brethren,  beloved  of  the 
Lord,  because  God  hath,  from  the  begin- 
ning, chosen  you  to  salvation,  through 
sanctification  of  the  Spirit  and  belief  of 
the  truth."  He  expresses  the  same  senti- 
ment in  language  equally  explicit,  in  his 


72  ELECTION. 

2d  epistle  to  Tiraotliy,  i.  9—"  God  hath 
saved  us,  and  called  us  with  an  holy  call- 
ing, not  according  to  our  works,  but  ac- 
cording to  his  own  purpose  and  grace, 
^Yhich  was  o-iven  us  in  Christ  Jesus,  before 
the  world  began."  Such  is  the  language 
of  Paul  on  the  doctrine  of  election;  and 
any  person  is  at  liberty  to  weigh  our  Con- 
fession of  Faith  in  this  balance. 

But  let  us  see  what  our  Saviour  himself 
says  on  this  point.  John  vi.  36 — "All 
that  the  Father  giveth  me  shall  come  to 
me,  and  him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in 
no  wise  cast  out."  Here  he  first  states 
God's  special  purpose  of  mercy,  in  giving 
him  a  seed  to  serve  him,  and  the  certainty 
of  their  coming;  and  then  adds  the  en- 
couragement it  aflbrds  for  sinners  to  be- 
lieve. He,  it  seems,  did  not  think  the 
doctrine  discourao^ins:.  Those  that  the 
''Father  gave  him,"  he  calls  his  sheep — 
John  X.  27 — "My  sheep  hear  my  voice, 
and  I  know  them,  and  they  follow  me,  and 
I  give  unto  them  eternal  life,  and  they 
shall  never  perish,  neither  shall  any  pluck 
them  out  of  my  hands.  My  Father,  who 
gave  them  me,  is  greater  than  all,  and 
none  is  able  to  pluck  them  out  of  my 
Father's  hands."  And  in  allusion  to  the 
Gentiles,  who  had  not  yet  had  the  Gospel 
preached  to  them,  he  says,  in  the  16th 


ELECTION.  78 

verse,  *' Other  sheep  I  have,  which  are  not 
of  this  fold ;  them  also  I  must  bring,  and 
tViey  shall  hear  my  voice."  If  this  does 
not  express  a  special  purpose  of  mercy 
towards  all  those  that  shall  be  eventually 
gathered  in,  language  has  no  meaning. 

But  finally,  he  tells  us  of  a  day  in  which 
he  will  preach  the  doctrine  to  the  assem- 
bled universe,  amidst  the  awful  grandeur 
of  the  judgment,  and  with  a  voice  more 
awfully  impressive  than  ten  thousand  thun- 
ders. Matt.  xxiv.  31 — "  And  he  shall  send 
his  angels,  with  a  great  sound  of  a  trum- 
pet, and  they  shall  gather  together  hiii 
elect  from  the  four  winds."  And  in  the 
25th  chapter,  and  34th  verse,  he  tells  us 
how  he  will  address  them :  "  Come  ye 
blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom 
prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of 
the  world."  And  to  the  others  who,  as 
Paul  expresses  it,  "had  pleasure  in  un- 
righteousness," he  will  say,  "Depart  ye 
cursed  into  everlasting  fire,  prepared  for 
the  devil  and  his  angels."  Thus  his  pur- 
pose of  mercy  will  be  fulfilled  in  a  man- 
ner worthy  of  it,  and  of  himself;  and  his 
purpose  of  judgment,  too,  respecting  the 
finally  impenitent,  will  be  fulfilled  in  a 
manner  that  will  for  ever  vindicate  him 
from  the  charge  of  partiality. 

Con. — It  will  certainly  be  a  grand  and 
7 


74  ELECTION. 

glorious  winding  up  of  a  scheme,  equally 
grand  and  glorious ;  and  I  think  it  will 
then  be  acknowledged  that  the  whole  plan 
was  laid  in  eternal  and  infinite  wisdom 
and  love,  and  executed  in  infinite  grace 
and  glory.  I  begin  to  see  now  the  beauty 
and  consistency  of  the  Oalvinistic  scheme, 
because  it  is  the  scheme  of  the  Bible. 
Those  doctrines  I  find  are  justly  styled  the 
*•  doctrines  of  grace,"  and  I  woukl  like  to 
examine  with  you  some  more  of  the  promi- 
nent points  of  this  scheme,  if  I  have  not 
already  consumed  too  much  of  your  time. 

Min. — I  consider  my  time  well  spent  in 
vindicating  the  truth  from  the  aspersions 
of*  its  enemies.  I  shall  be  pleased  at  any 
time  to  examine  with  ^-ou  any  other  doc- 
trine of  our  Confession,  about  which  you 
have  any  difiiculty. 

Con. — There  are  some  things  about  the 
doctrine  of  total  depravity,  that  I  cannot 
fully  understand.  I  have  no  doubt  as  to 
the  fact;  but  how  we  are  held  responsible 
for  Adam's  sin,  presents  a  difiiculty  to  my 
mind. 

jMin. — We  will  take  up  that  subject  at 
our  next  interviev/. 


DIALOGUE  YII. 


ORIGINAL    SIN. 


Minister. — In  our  last  conversation  you 
mentioned  a  difficulty  under  which  your 
mind  laboured,  respecting  the  doctrine  of 
hereditary  depravity;  but  I  think  you 
stated  that  you  had  no  difficulty  as  to  the 
fact  that  all  mankind  are  depraved. 

Convert. — Judging  from  the  exhibitions 
of  human  nature,  as  they  are  seen  on  the 
general  face  of  society,  I  do  not  see  how 
any  one  can  deny  the  fact.  Looking  at 
these  exhibitions,  under  any  circumstances 
yet  found  in  the  world,  it  seems  to  me 
that  any  reflecting  mind  must  be  con- 
vinced that  mankind  are,  by  nature, 
"wholly  inclined  to  sin,"  as  I  tind  it  ex- 
pressed in  the  Confession  of  Faith. 

Min. — Your  sentiments  accord  with  the 
language  of  the  Bible,  which  gives  a  much 
stronger  picture  of  the  state  of  man  by 
nature,  than  our  Confession.  Paul  in  the 
first  and  third  chapters  of  his  epistle  to 
the  liomans,  states  it  at  length,  in  as 
strong  language  as  can  be  used ;  and  iu 

(75) 


76  ORIGINAL   SIN. 

hundreds  of  other  places,  we  find  man- 
kind spoken  of  as  being  "  in  the  gall  of 
bitterness  and  bonds  of  iniquity."  Gen. 
vi.  5 — "  God  saw  that  the  wickedness  of 
man  was  great  on  the  earth,  and  that  every 
imagination  of  the  thoughts  of  his  heart 
was  only  evil  continually."  Gen.  viii.  21 
— "  The  imagination  of  man's  heart  is  evil 
from  his  youth."  But  I  need  not  multi- 
ply proofs  of  a  fact  which,  as  you  say,  is 
proved  by  every  day's  observation. 

The  simple  fact  of  the  universal  wicked- 
ness of  mankind,  has  always  proved  a 
great  difficulty  with  those  who  deny  the 
doctrine  of  innate  depravity.  Some  have 
attempted  to  account  for  it,  from  the  in- 
fluence of  example — that  men  are  wicked, 
because  they  are  surrounded  with  a  bad 
influence.  But  whence  the  universal  bad 
example  ?  This  is  endeavouring  to  ac- 
count for  a  fact,  by  referring  to  the  fact 
itself;  and  is  about  as  wise  as  to  say  that 
men  are  wicked  because  they  are  wicked. 

Others  have  said  that  it  is  an  abuse  of 
their  freedom  of  will.  But  why  the  uni- 
versal abuse  of  free  will  ?  It  is  admitted 
on  all  hands,  that  the  will  is  free.  But 
why  does  it  uniformly  choose  evil  ?  There 
must  be  some  cause  that  operates  in  in- 
clining the  will  to  act  as  it  does.  This 
method  of  accounting  for  the  fact,  is,  if 


ORIGINAL   SIN.  TT 

possible,  more  absurd  than  the  other,  and 
is  about  as  consistent  with  common  sense, 
as  to  account  for  the  changes  of  the  wind, 
by  the  turnings  of  a  weathercock. 

Con. — I  do  not  see  how  we  can  avoid 
the  conclusion  that  there  is  in  man  an  in- 
nate propensity  inclining  him  to  evil. 

Min. — The  next  step,  then,  is  to  inquire 
whence,  and  upon  what  principles  came 
this  propensity  to  evil.  If  this  world  be 
inhabited  by  a  depraved  intelligence,  how 
came  it  to  be  so  ?  Man  was  not  so  cre- 
ated. The  evil  cannot  be  imputed  to 
God.  The  fault  must  be  in  man  himself. 
*'  God  made  man  upright,  but  they  have 
sought  out  many  inventions,"  is  what  the 
Bible  tells  us  on  this  point,  and  to  this 
statement  we  must  all  assent.  It  is  ad- 
mitted, too,  on  all  hands,  I  believe,  that 
some  how,  in  consequence  of  the  fall  of 
our  first  parents,  all  the  evil  found  in  the 
world  has  been  entailed  upon  their  pos- 
terity^ ;  but  the  principles  upon  which  this 
is  to  be  accounted  for,  is  a  point  much 
controverted,  and  about  which  you  say 
your  mind  labours. 

Some  say  that  there  was  not  any  legal 
connection  between  Adam  and  his  pos- 
terity, and  that  they  had  no  concern  what- 
ever with  his  sin,  but  that  the  present 
state  of  mankind  is  to  be  accounted  for  on 


78  ORIGINAL   SIN. 

the  simple  principle  of  transmission.  As 
a  tree  propagates  its  kind,  so  the  posterity 
of  Adam  naturally  inherit  his  nature. 
The  advocates  of  this  doctrine  express 
great  abhorrence  at  the  idea  of  being  held 
in  any  way  legally  responsible  for  the  sin 
of  Adam ;  and  represent  it  as  highly  ty- 
rannical in  God,  to  hold  us  responsible  for 
a  sin  committed  so  long  before  we  were 
born.  But  they  forget  that  they  are  quar- 
reling with  an  admitted  fact  in  the  govern- 
ment of  God.  They  admit  that  all  evil  is 
entailed  upon  us,  in  consequence  of  Adam's 
sin,  and  yet  deny  that  we  had  any  con- 
cern with  it  whatever.  I^ow  what  could 
be  more  tyrannical  than  this  ?  In  the  gov- 
ernment and  providence  of  God,  we  are 
visited  with  all  the  tremendous  conse- 
quences and  dreadful  evils  of  a  sin,  with 
which  we  had  no  concern  whatever.  K 
w^e  had  no  concern  with  his  sin,  it  is  cer- 
tainly the  highest  injustice  and  tyranny  to 
visit  us  with  any  of  its  consequences. 
How  much  more  consistent  with  the  char- 
acter of  God,  and  with  common  sense,  to 
admit  the  simple  fact  as  it  is  expressed  in 
our  catechism,  that  we  ''  sinned  in  him, 
and  fell  with  him." 

Con. — But  how  could  we  sin  in  him. 

Min. — Upon  the  simple  principle  of 
representation,  which  enters  into  all  God's 


ORIGINAL   SIN.  79 

dealings  with  us.  It  is  easy  to  understand 
how  a  man  acts  through  a  representative, 
or  agent.  And  who  would  ever  think  of 
calling  it  injustice  or  tyranny,  to  hold  a 
person  responsible  for  the  actions  of  his 
agent,  or  representative  ?  The  people  of 
a  State  act  in  and  through  their  representa- 
tives in  the  Legislature.  If  they  make 
wholesome  laws,  the  people,  with  them- 
selves, reap  the  benefit ;  and  if  they  make 
unjust  and  oppressive  laws,  the  people, 
equally  with  themselves,  are  involved  in 
the  evil  consequences ;  and  in  this  way 
the  people  become  liable  to  all  the  evils 
resulting  from  such  mal-administration. 
It  is  in  this  way,  upon  the  principle  of 
representation,  that  we  all  "sinned  in 
Adam,  and  fell  with  him,"  and  became 
liable  to  all  the  consequences  of  his  sin, 
equally  with  himself.  This  is  the  sense 
in  which  the  term  "guilt"  is  used  in  our 
Confession.  We  are  not  guilty  of  Adam's 
sin  personally,  but  liable  to  punishment 
on  account  of  it ;  and  it  is  in  this  way  that 
we  say  his  sin  is  imputed  to  us ;  that  is, 
it  is  set  to  our  account. 

Co7i. — But  is  not  this  doctrine  liable  to 
objcctijon,  on  the  ground  that  we  bad  no- 
thing to  do  with  his  appointment  as  our 
representative  ? 

Min. — Under  the  circumstances,  it  was 


80  ORIGINAL   SIN. 

impossible  that  we  could  select  our  own 
agent  to  act  for  us  ;  but  the  simple  ques- 
tion to  be  determined  is,  was  it  just,  wise, 
and  merciful  in  God,  thus  to  deal  with  us 
on  the  principle  of  representation  ?  and 
when  we  could  not  choose  our  own  repre- 
sentative, to  choose  one  for  us  ?  Will  any 
one  say  that  it  would  have  been  better  for 
the  human  femilv  that  each  should  have 
stood  singly  for  himself  m  the  great  trial 
of  obedience  ?  In  that  case  we  must  leave 
out  of  view  the  covenant  of  s:race  and  the 
Saviour;  for  each  individual,  standing  for 
himself  upon  the  great  trial  for  life  or 
death,  can  have  no  reference  to  another. 
Then  all  mankind,  from  infancy  to  age — 
every  moment — is  on  trial ;  and  the  mo- 
ment any  one  fails  in  thought,  word,  or 
action,  then  eternal  death  is  the  penalty, 
mthout  a  single  gleam  of  hope.  The  fee- 
ble infant,  with  no  distinct  conceptions  of 
law  or  penalty,  with  almost  no  power  to 
distinguish  between  good  and  evil,  unable 
properly  to  appreciate  the  tendencies  of 
conduct,  and  more  than  all,  without  any 
knowledge  that  it  is  placed  on  such  a  trial ; 
yet  is  eveiy  moment  standing  in  such  a 
relation  to  God  and  his  law,  that  the  in- 
dulgence of  a  single  sinful  feeling  brings 
upon  it  all  the  weight  of  the  infinite  pen- 
alty of  God's  law.   iTow,  does  it  not  display 


ORIGINAL   SIN.  81 

the  goodness  of  God  to  put  that  infant  on 
trial,  in  the  person  of  such  a  perfect  being 
as  Adam  ?  And  when  the  Bible  reveals 
the  fact,  that  this  was  actually  done,  who, 
in  the  name  of  common  sense,  and  of 
wisdom  and  goodness,  can  find  fault,  and 
say  it  was  unjust  and  tj'rannical  ? 

But,  to  put  the  matter  in  a  still  more 
favourable  light,  suppose  that  all  should 
be  kept  by  God  until  maturity,  and  then 
put  on  trial ;  and  even  allow^ing  them  to 
be  as  fully  endowed  with  moral  strength 
as  Adam  was,  yet  placed  upon  the  awfully 
Bolemn  trial,  under  such  circumstances, 
that  the  moment  any  one  should  sin,  in 
thought,  word,  or  deed,  his  case  is  for  ever 
as  hopeless  as  that  of  the  fallen  angels, 
(who  stood  precisely  in  those  circum- 
stances,) and  the  case  is  very  httle  better. 
Kow,  is  there  any  one,  of  all  Adam's  race, 
who  would  prefer  thus  to  be  placed  ?  Does 
it  not  show^  in  a  striking  light  the  wisdom 
and  goodness  of  God,  in  thus  putting  us 
on  trial  in  our  original  progenitor,^and 
thereby  increasing,  more  than  ten  thou- 
sand-fold, his  motives  to  obedience?  Does 
not  the  principle  of  representation,  upon 
which  God  deals  with  us,  commend  itself 
to  the  plainest  dictates  of  reason  and  com- 
mon sense?  And  who  will  find  fault  with 
his  Maker  for  selecting  a  representative 


82  ORIGINAL   SIN. 

for  us,  when  we  could  uot,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, choose  one  ourselves  ?  And 
moreover,  he  appointed  the  very  person, 
whom  all  mankind  would  have  chosen,  if 
it  could  have  been  left  to  them. 

Con. — Is  this  what  is  meant  in  the  Cate- 
chism by  the  "covenant,"  which  it  says 
was  "  made  with  Adam,  not  only  for  him- 
self, but  for  his  posterity?" 

Min. — Yes;  the  agreement  entered  into 
between  God  and  Adam,  whereby  he  stood 
as  our  representative,  is  called  a  covenant, 
because  there  were  certain  stipulations  to 
be  fulfilled,  and  a  reward  promised;  and 
on  the  other  hand,  a  penalty  threatened 
for  the  breach  of  it. 

Con. — But  is  all  this  clearly  revealed  in 
the  Bible  ? 

Min. — We  are  not  told,  in  expi-ess 
words,  that  there  was  a  covenant  made 
between  God  and  Adam  ;  and  the  opposers 
of  the  doctrine  have  attempted  to  triumph, 
because  it  is  not  stated  in  so  many  words 
that  there  was  sncli  a  covenant  transac- 
tion. But  such  attempts  at  triumph  are, 
to  say  the  least,  very  silly.  I  once  heard  a 
Socinian  triumph  in  the  same  way,  because 
he  said  the  words  "  divinity  of  Christ," 
were  not  to  be  found  in  the  Bible.  And 
a  Universalist,  also,  once  in  my  hearing, 
pretended  to  triumph,  because  he  said  the 


ORIGINAL   SIN.  83 

words  "future  punishment,"  were  not  found 
in  the  Bihle.  You  can  easily  perceive 
that  such  things  only  betray  their  weak- 
ness. The  question  is  not,  Are  the  exact 
words,  by  which  we  express  an  idea,  found 
in  the  Bible ;  but  is  the  idea  there  plainly 
tiiught?  The  idea  of  the  representative 
character  of  Adam,  and  of  his  covenant 
relation  to  us,  is  as  plainly  taught  in  the 
Bible  as  almost  any  other  truth.  Rom. 
V.  19 — "By  one  man's  disobedience  many 
were  made  sinners."  Verse  12 — "By  one 
man  sin  entered  into  the  world,  and  death 
by  sin,  and  so  death  passed  upon  all  men, 
for  that  all  have  sinned."  We  are  here 
taught  as  plainly  as  can  be,  that  death  is 
the  consequence  of  sin ;  and  the  reason 
that  all  die,  is,  "that  all  have  sinned." 
Now,  we  know  that  many  die  in  infancy, 
before  any  actual  sin  can  be  laid  to  their 
charge.  Then  how  have  they  sinned  ?  It 
is  impossible  to  explain  it  on  any  other 
supposition,  than  that  they  sinned  in 
Adam  ;  and  they  could  not  sin  in  him  in 
any  other  way,  but  by  representation. 

Con. — Do  you  then  believe  that  those 
dying  in  infancy  will  be  condemned  on 
account  of  their  original  sin? 

Ahn. — That  is  not  a  necessary  conclu- 
sion. Reasoning  from  analogy,  we  may 
conclude  that  it  is  consistent  with  God's 


84  ORIGINAL   SIN. 

character  and  manner  of  dealing  with 
mankind,  to  save  them  through  the  atone- 
ment of  Christ.  Paul  tells  us,  Rom.  v. 
14 — that  "  death  reigned  from  Adam  to 
Moses,  even  over  them  that  had  not  sin- 
ned, after  the  similitude  of  Adam's  trans- 
gression"— that  is,  infants  who  had  not 
sinned  actually.  'Now,  seeing  that  they 
are  involved  in  the  consequences  of  Adam's 
sin,  without  actual  participation,  they  may 
be  included  in  the  purpose  of  mercy 
through  Christ,  without  actual  participa- 
tion by  faith.  But  if  saved  they  will  be 
eaved  as  redeemed  sinners,  and  will  unite 
with  all  the  host  of  God's  elect,  in  singing 
"glory  to  the  Lamb  that  redeemed  us, 
and  washed  us  in  his  blood."  jSTow,  it  is 
plain  that  they  cannot  be  redeemed,  if  they 
are  not  lost;  they  cannot  be  washed,  if 
they  are  not  polluted ;  they  cannot  be 
saved  through  Christ,  if  they  are  not  sin- 
ners. If  they  are  saved  through  Christ,  it 
is  an  incontrovertible  proof  that  they  are 
sinners  through  Adam. 

But  further,  Paul  says,  Rom.  v.  18 — 
*'By  the  offence  of  one,  judgment  came 
upon  all  men  to  condemnation."  If  this 
does  not  prove  that  all  men  are  liable  to 
condemnation  on  account  of  the  sin  of 
Adam,  language  has  no  meaning.  And 
there  is  no  way  that  they  could  become 


ORIGINAL  SIN.  85 

thus  liable,  but  by  sustaining  to  him  a 
covenant  relation,  such  as  I  have  spoken 
of.  Many  other  passages  are  equally  clear 
in  teaching  the  same  truth,  by  plain  and 
necessary  deduction,  which  I  need  not 
enumerate.  But  we  are  not  left  to  this 
mode  of  proof  entirely.  It  is  plainly 
manifest,  that  every  item  essential  to  a 
covenant,  is  contained  in  the  transaction 
between  God  and  Adam ;  and  the  term 
*' covenant,"  is  given  to  it  by  Hosea,  vii. 
9 — "  They  like  men  have  transgressed  the 
covenant."  The  literal  rendering  of  the 
Hebrew  is,  "  They  like  Adam  have  trans- 
gressed the  covenant."  The  Hebrew 
phrase,  '^  ke  Adam.,'"  which  is  here  used, 
is  so  rendered  in  Job  xxxi.  33 — "  If  I  cov- 
ered my  transgression,  as  Adam,"  &c. ; 
from  which  it  is  plain  that  the  idea  of  a 
covenant  with  Adam  was  familiar  to  the 
inspired  writers. 

I  have  now  given  a  few,  and  only  a  few, 
of  the  many  arguments  that  might  be 
drawn  from  reason  and  the  Bible,  as  well 
as  from  facts,  to  prove  the  representative 
character  of  Adam,  and  our  covenant  re- 
lation to  him,  on  the  ground  of  which  his 
sin  is  imputed  to  his  posterity ;  and  they 
consequently  inherit  a  sinful  nature,  having 
"sinned  in  him,  and  fallen  with  him  in 
his  first  transgression."  Enough,  how- 
8 


86  ORIGINAL   SIN". 

ever,  has  been  said,  I  think,  to  show  jou 
that  the  doctrine  of  our  Confession  of 
Faith  on  this  subject,  is  the  doctrine  of 
the  Bible,  and  of  common  sense. 

Con. — My  mind  is  entirely  relieved  of 
its  difficulty ;  and  I  find  the  doctrine  of 
imputation,  so  far  as  it  respects  Adam's 
sin,  is  far  difi:erent  fi^om  what  I  had  con- 
ceived it  to  be. 

J\Hn. — The  other  paii;  of  the  doctrine, 
viz :  the  imputation  of  Christ's  righteous- 
ness as  our  only  dependence  for  salvation, 
I  presume  you  understand  more  clearly. 

Con. — I  have  made  it  my  only  depend- 
ence, and  rejoice  to  do  so  ;  but  still  I  would 
be  glad  to  understand  it  more  fully,  as  my 
Methodist  neighbour  tells  me  that  faith, 
and  good  works  are,  at  least  in  part,  the 
meritorious  ground  of  my  justification. 

Mn. — We  will  take  up  that  subject  in 
our  next  conversation. 


DIALOGUE  Vm. 


FREE   GRACE. 


Minister. — In  establishing  the  doctrine 
of  the  imputed  righteousness  of  Christ,  as 
the  only  ground  of  our  justification  in  the 
sight  of  God,  it  is  important,  in  the  first 
place,  to  have  a  clear  understanding  of 
our  relations  to  him,  and  the  claims  of  his 
law. 

Convert. — Are  we  still  under  obligations 
to  obey  the  law  of  God,  notwithstanding 
we  have  broken  it  and  incurred  its  pen- 
alty? 

jMin. — The  fact  that  we  have  broken 
God's  law,  cannot  free  us  from  obligations 
to  serve  and  obey  him,  in  the  smallest  de- 
gree. But  we  are  speaking  now,  more 
particularly,  of  what  is  necessary  to  es- 
cape the  penalty  justly  due  us  as  sinners. 
It  is  said  by  some  that  God  has  relaxed 
the  original  terms  upon  which  eternal  life 
was  first  promised,  and  that  he  has  been 
graciously  pleased,  for  Christ's  sake,  to 
make  a  new  covenant  with  man,  in  which 
he  promises  to  pardon  our  sins  if  we  re- 

(87) 


88  FREE   GRACE. 

pent ;  and  since  we  cannot  render  perfect 
obedience  during  all  our  life,  he  will  ac- 
cept of  our  imperfect  obedience,  if  it  be 
sincere.  This,  I  suppose,  is  the  opinion 
of  your  Methodist  neighbour,  whom  you 
mentioned  as  maintaining,  that  we  are  jus- 
tified, in  part  at  least,  by  works.  But  this 
is  only  an  attempt  to  "establish  our  own 
righteousness,"  and  is  not  only  unscrip- 
tural,  but  absurd.  The  law  of  God  is  a 
transcript  of  his  character,  and  was  so  in- 
tended to  be.  "Be  ye  holy,  for  I  am  holy," 
was  the  sanction  that  accompanied  it ;  and 
who  will  dare  to  set  up  a  lower  standard? 
If  its  claims  are  let  down,  then  it  is  abro- 
gated, and  a  new  one  set  up  through 
Christ.  But  Christ  says  expressly,  that  he 
"came  not  to  destro}^,  but  to  fulfill."  Be- 
sides, if  there  be  a  change  in  God's  law, 
it  is  no  longer  to  us  a  transcript  of  his 
character,  and  cannot  be  a  perfect  stan- 
dard of  holiness.  Consequently,  too,  the 
principles  of  his  government  are  changed  ; 
and  things  which  were  once  sins,  cannot 
now  be  so  accounted ;  and  things  that 
were  once  duties,  are  now  dispensed  with, 
which  casts  a  severe,  if  not  impious,  reflec- 
tion upon  both  the  Governor  and  his  law. 
It  is,  in  fact,  nothing  more  than  salvation 
by  works,  and  casts  away  altogether  the 
necessity  of  a  Saviour;   for  if  the  high 


FREE   GRACE.  '89 

authority  of  the  law  may  give  way  for  the 
accommodation  of  a  criminal,  why  was  it 
necessary  that  any  obedience  or  satisfac- 
tion should  be  rendered  to  it  by  another 
in  his  stead  ?  The  obedience  and  suifer- 
ings  of  the  Saviour  were,  in  that  case, 
mere  works  of  supererogation,  given  to  a 
law,  which,  after  all,  did  not  necessarily 
demand  them. 

Con. — But  may  we  not  suppose  that  the 
sufferings  of  Christ  were  intended  to  show 
God's  hatred  of  sin  in  such  a  light,  that  he 
might  consistently  pardon  sin,  without  an 
impeachment  of  his  law  or  character,  when 
the  sinner  sincerely  repents  ? 

Min. — The  sufferings  of  the  Saviour  do 
exhibit,  in  a  very  striking  light,  the  great 
evil  of  sin  ;  and  it  was  no  doubt  intended 
that  they  should  do  so.  But  if  we  stop 
there,  we  make  the  atonement  a  very  small 
matter.  It  represents  God  as  making  a 
show  of  respect  for  his  law  and  govern- 
ment, which,  in  fact,  does  not  exist,  if  he 
can  look  over  a  violation  of  it  without  the 
satisfaction  it  demands;  and  the  atone- 
ment of  the  Son  of  God  was  nothing 
more  than  this  governmental  display, 
which  would  be  unworthy  of  an  earthly 
king.  This  theory  is,  however,  becoming 
very  popular  at  the  present  day;  and  what 
is  more  strange,  it  is  advocated  by  some 
8* 


90  FREE   GRACE. 

who   call   themselves  Presbyterians,   and 
profess  attachment  to  the   Confession  of 
Faith,   though  they  are   not  now  in  our 
connection.     But  to  see  in  a  still  clearer 
light  the  unreasonableness  of  these  sys- 
tems, we  have  only  to  consider  what  are 
in  reality  the  claims  of  God's  law,  as  laid 
down  in  the  Bible,  which,  I  have  already 
said,  is  necessary  to  a  right  understanding 
of  the  subject.     "Love  the  Lord  with  all 
thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with 
all  thy  strength,  and  with  all  thy  mind, 
and  thy  neighbour  as  thyself,"  is  what  God 
claims   of   all    his   intelligent    creatures. 
And  will  any  one  say  he  asks  too  much, 
or  that  it  would   be  consistent  with  his 
character    to    accept    of    anything    less? 
"God  is  love;"  and  in  this  summary  of 
his  law  he  has  given  us  a  transcript  of  his 
character.     It  is  the  same  grand  principle 
that  binds  angels,  and  all  the  intelligent 
universe.     It  is  like  himself,  and  all  his 
works;    simple,  yet  grand,  majestic,  and 
glorious  in  its  simplicity.     It  extends  to 
every  faculty  and  power  of  the  creature, 
"heart,  soul,  strength,  and  mind;"   and, 
being  thus  the  basis,  or  grand  principle  of 
his  moral  government,  it  is  as  unchangea- 
ble as  himself.     The  moment  he  should 
dispense  with  any  of  its  requirements,  and 
accept  from  a  creature  an  obedience  that 


FREE   GRACE.  91 

was  defective,  the  stabilities  of  liis  throne 
would  be  undermined.  Hence,  Christ  says, 
that  "till  heaven  and  earth  pass,  one  jot  or 
one  tittle  shall  in  no  wise  pass  from  the 
law,  till  all  be  fulfilled.  Think  not  that  I 
am  come  to  destroy  the  law,  or  the  pro- 
phets. I  am  not  come  to  destroy,  but  to 
fulfill."— Matt.  V.  17,  18.  It  is,  therefore, 
not  only  absurd,  but  impious,  to  plead 
that  the  law  is  changed,  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  sinful  man.  Sooner  mav  we  ex- 
pect  Jehovah  to  annihilate  universal  crea- 
tion, than  give  up  "one  jot  or  one  tittle" 
of  that  law,  which  is  the  transcript  of  his 
character.  Kow,  it  is  this  law,  which 
claims  obedience  originally  from  us,  and 
its  claims  we  must  answer  in  ourselves,  or 
by  another,  if  we  would  inherit  eternal 
life;  and  I  presume  I  need  not  stay  to 
prove,  that  no  sinner  of  Adam's  race  can, 
in  himself,  answer  its  demands. 

It  is  proper,  also,  that  we  should  notice 
here  the  penalty  by  which  obedience  to 
the  law  of  God  is  enforced.  It  corres- 
ponds with  the  law  in  its  greatness  and 
justice.  Death,  with  all  the  dreadful  con- 
sequences which  the  Bible  attaches  to  that 
term,  when  speaking  of  it  as  a  peiuilty 
threatened,  is  a  punishment  in  which  Avill 
be  exhibited  for  ever  the  greatness,  jus- 
tice, and   majesty  of  God,  and  his  law. 


92  FREE  GRACE. 

"We,  therefore,  as  sinners,  having  incurred 
this  penalty,  the  law  has  a  two-fold  claim 
upon  us — satisfaction  and  restitution.  The 
law  must  be  satisfied,  to  place  us  on  terms 
of  reconciliation  Avith  God ;  and  then  it 
requires  complete  and  perfect  obedience 
to  entitle  us  to  life.  It  is  equally  plain, 
that  no  finite  creature  can  give  to  the  law 
the  infinite  satisfaction  it  requires;  and 
this  is  one  reason  that  the  punishment  of 
the  wicked  must  be  eternal. 

Con. — Mankind  are  then,  by  nature,  in. 
a  very  wretched  condition. 

Min. — That  is  very  true  ;  and  this  is  no 
doubt  one  reason  that  so  much  opposition 
is  manifested  toward  the  doctrines  of 
grace.  Volumes  have  been  written,  the 
Scriptures  have  been  perverted,  and  every 
expedient  has  been  tried,  to  prove  that  the 
spiritual  condition  of  mankind  is  not  so 
bad.  But  the  only  efiect  that  can  result 
from  it,  is  to  make  sinners  more  careless. 
It  is  always  best  for  us  to  know  the  worst 
of  our  spiritual  condition.  If  there  were 
no  remedy  provided,  it  would  be  humane 
to  endeavour,  as  far  as  possible,  to  allay 
fears  that  could  be  of  no  avail.  But  when 
God  has  graciously  provided  a  remedy,  it 
is  unfaithfulness  to  the  Saviour,  and  cru- 
elty to  the  souls  of  men,  to  attempt  to 


FREE   GRACE.  9S 

hide,  in   the   smallest  degree,  their  real 
condition. 

But  this  brings  us  to  speak  of  what 
God,  in  infinite  mercy,  has  done  to  save 
us  from  this  wretched  condition.  The 
Son  of  God  took  upon  himself  to  answer 
the  claims  of  the  law  in  our  stead,  both  as 
it  respects  obedience  and  satisfaction,  and 
in  both  respects  satisfied  its  claims  to  the 
full.  By  his  obedience  and  sufi:erings  he 
has  wrought  out  a  righteousness,  on  the 
ground  of  which  we  may  be  accepted. 
And  here  again,  God  deals  with  us  on  the 
principle  of  representation.  The  Saviour 
stood,  and  still  stands,  as  our  representa- 
tive and  agent.  Our  sins  w^ere  imputed 
to  him — that  is,  they  were  set  to  his  ac- 
count— he  engaged  to  answer  for  them, 
and  was  thus  treated  as  a  sinner.  On  the 
other  hand,  his  righteousness  is  imputed 
to  us ;  that  is,  it  is  set  to  our  account,  and 
we  are  treated  as  righteous,  on  the  ground 
of  what  he  has  done  for  us.  All  this  is 
briefly,  yet  clearly  expressed  in  our  Con- 
fession of  Faith  and  Catechisms.  "Justi- 
fication is  an  act  of  God's  free  grace, 
wherein  he  pardon eth  all  our  sins,  and  ac- 
cepteth  us  as  righteous  in  his  sight,  only 
for  the  righteousness  of  Christ  imputed 
to  us,  and  received  by  faith  alone." — 
Shorter  Cat.,  Quest.  33. 


94  FREE    GRACE. 

Con. — ^What  do  you  understand  hyfaithy 
as  3' ou  use  the  term  in  this  connection  ? 

Min. — It  is  simply  the  act  of  the  soul  in 
casting  itself  upon  Christ,  and  trust- 
ing to  his  righteousness  for  salvation ;  or, 
as  our  catechism  expresses  it,  "Faith  in 
Jesus  Christ  is  a  saving  grace,  whereby 
we  receive  and  rest  upon  him  alone  for 
salvation,  as  he  is  offered  to  us  in  the  Gos- 
peL" — Quest.  86.  Christ  is  offered  us  in 
the  Gospel,  as  a  Saviour  who  has  fulfilled 
the  law,  and  satisfied  the  justice  of  God  in 
our  stead ;  and  we  are  invited  to  come, 
and  be  saved  through  him.  When  we  ac- 
cept of  him  as  our  Saviour,  and  cast  our- 
selves upon  him  for  salvation,  the  act  of 
the  soul  in  so  doing  is  faith ;  and  hence, 
in  this  sense,  it  is  called  "saving  faith."  It 
is  then  that  the  righteousness  of  Christ  is 
set  to  our  account,  and  made  ours  through 
faith. 

Con. — Is  faith,  then,  a  necessary  condi- 
tion of  our  salvation  ? 

Min. — It  is  necessary,  but  can  hardly  be 
called  a  condition,  in  the  sense  in  which 
the  term  is  generally  used ;  at  least  it  is 
not  a  meritorious  condition.  There  can 
be  no  merit  in  simply  accepting  a  thing 
offered,  though  it  is  necessary  that  we  ac- 
cept it  before  it  can  be  ours.  It  is  in  this 
sense  that  faith  is  necessary  to  our  salva- 


FREE  GRACE.  95 

tion.  "We  must  accept  of  the  salvation 
offered  through  Christ ;  and  in  the  accept- 
ance of  it,  God  makes  it  over  to  us. 
Hence,  the  catechism  says,  it  is  "  received 
by  faith  alone."  And  from  this,  also,  you 
will  be  able  to  understand  the  numerous 
texts  of  Scripture  which  speak  of  salva- 
tion by  faith.  "He  that  believeth  and  is 
baptized  shall  be  saved,  but  he  that  be- 
lieveth not  shall  be  damned." — Mark  xvi. 
16.  "Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  thou  shalt  be  saved." — Acts  xvi.  31, 
&c.  We  are  also  said  to  be  "justified  by 
faith." — Rom.  v.  1.  "Therefore  it  is  of 
faith,  that  it  might  be  by  grace." — Rom. 
iv.  16.  "Justified  freely  by  his  grace 
through  the  redemption  that  is  in  Christ 
Jesus." — Rom.  iii.  24.  Besides  many  other 
passages,  which  I  need  not  enumerate. 

Con. — But  a  difficulty  presents  itself  to 
my  mind  here,  respecting  the  atonement 
of  Christ,  and  which  I  have  heard  urged 
against  the  doctrine  of  an  infinite  satisiac- 
tion  being  given,  or  the  full  penalty  of  the 
law  endured  by  him.  How  could  he  give 
an  infinite  satisfaction  in  so  short  a  pe- 
riod ?  He  did  not  suffer  eternally,  nor 
did  he  sufter  remorse,  &c.,  which  was  due 
the  sinner. 

Min. — Eternal  death,  strictly  speaking, 
was  not  the  penalty  of  the  law.   It  became 


96  FREE   GRACE. 

SO  from  the  nature  of  the  persons  incur- 
ring it.  They  are  finite,  and  cannot  give 
the  full  satisfaction,  in  all  conceivable 
time;  therefore,  they  must  atone  for  their 
Bins  eternally.  But  an  infinite  being  may 
give  infinite  value  to  an  atonement  in  time. 
Thus,  the  divinity  of  the  Son  of  God 
stamps  his  atonement  with  infinity.  We 
are  told  he  "magnified  the  law,  and  made 
it  honourable."  I^o  finite  being  could  thus 
magnify  the  law,  or  show  its  greatness  and 
dignity  in  any  clearer  light,  because  it  was 
made  for  them,  and  all  owe  it  obedience. 
But  the  Son  of  God,  being  infinite  in  all 
the  perfections  of  Deity,  did  not  owe  it 
obedience  for  himself;  and  when  he  made 
it  the  rule  of  his  life,  and  condescended 
to  satisfy  its  claims,  he  "  magnified  it,  and 
Diade  it  honourable,"  in  a  light  in  which  it 
never  was  before.  Its  holiness,  justice, 
majesty,  and  excellence,  are  displayed  in  a 
more  glorious  light  than  they  could  have 
been  in  any  other  conceivable  way.  The 
law  is  more  honoured  and  magnified  by 
the  obedience  and  satisfaction  rendered  to 
it  by  the  Son  of  God,  than  it  could  have 
been  by  the  perfect  obedience  and  eternal 
death  of  all  the  intelligent  creatures  in  the 
universe.  Hence,  the  apostle  calls  it  "  the 
nghteousness  of  God." — Rom.  iii.  21,  22, 
and  in  several  other  places.    It  is  this  obe- 


FREE   GRA€E.  97 

dience  and  satisfaction  of  the  Son  of  God, 
that  constituted  the  glorious  righteous- 
ness, on  the  ground  of  which  God  has 
offered  salvation  to  all  who  believe  on  his 
Son.  It  is  a  righteousness  as  great,  per- 
fect, holy,  infinite,  and  glorious  as  God 
himself;  a  righteousness,  on  the  ground 
of  which  he  can  be  just,  and  yet  the  jus- 
tifier  of  every  one  who  will  believe,  how- 
ever sinful  and  polluted  he  may  be.  iNay, 
more :  it  is  a  righteousness,  on  the  ground 
of  which  he  cannot  only  be  barely  just, 
but  also  glorious  in  its  exercise.  His  jus- 
tice, holiness,  truth,  mercy,  and  every  at- 
tribute, will  be  for  ever  glorified  in  the 
justification  extended  to  every  believing 
sinner,  through  the  glorious  righteousness 
of  his  Son. 

Now,  when  God  has  lavished  his  love 
and  wisdom  on  such  a  plan  of  salvation, 
so  glorifying  to  himself,  and  so  suitable 
for  us,  how  strange  that  men,  in  the  pride 
of  opinion,  w^ill  endeavour  to  find  out 
another !  And  when  we  are  offered  such 
a  righteousness  as  the  ground  of  our  sal- 
vation, we  may  well  ask  whether  any  one 
truly  loves  the  Saviour,  who  will  bring  up 
his  own  faith  and  obedience,  and  plead 
them  before  God  as  meriting  salvation ; 
as  if  the  glorious  righteousness  of  the  Son 
of  God  were  not  sufficient. 
9 


98  FREE   GRACE. 

Con. — It  cannot  be  salvation  by  grace, 
if  we  merit  it  in  any  degree  ourselves. 
Any  true  Christian  will  desire  to  ascribe 
all  the  glory  to  his  Saviour.  At  least  it 
BO  seems  to  me.  It  surely  contributes  in 
no  small  degree  to  the  enjoyment  of  the 
believing  sinner,  to  ascribe  all  the  praise 
to  his  Saviour. 

Min. — Let  us  now  see  what  the  Bible 
eays  on  these  points.  And  first  let  us  ex- 
amine what  proofs  it  contains  that  our 
sins  were  imputed  to  Christ,  and  that  he 
took  our  place  under  the  law.  Isa.  liii.  4, 
5 — "  Surely  he  hath  borne  our  griefs  and 
carried  our  sorrows.  *  *  But  he  was 
wounded  for  our  transgressions ;  he  was 
bruised  for  our  iniquities  ;  the  chastise- 
ment of  our  peace  was  upon  him ;  and 
with  his  stripes  we  are  healed.  All  we 
like  sheep  have  gone  astray ;  we  have 
turned  every  one  to  his  own  way;  and  the 
Lord  hath  laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of  us 
all."  Verse  11 — "  By  his  knowledge  shall 
my  righteous  servant  justify  many,  for  he 
ehall  bear  their  iniquities."  Verse  12 — 
*'He  bare  the  sin  of  many."  2  Cor.  v.  21 
— ''  He  hath  made  him  to  be  sin  for  us,  *  * 
that  we  might  be  made  the  righteousness 
of  God  in  him."  Here  both  truths  are 
plainly  stated,  that  our  sins  are  set  to  his 
account,  and  his   righteousness   to  ours. 


FREE   GRACE.  99 

There  is  no  other  conceivable  sense  in 
which  he  could  be  "made  sin,"  or  we 
"made  the  rio-hteousness  of  God."  1  Pet. 
ii.  24 — "His  own  self  bare  our  sms  m  his 
own  body  on  the  tree ;  by  whose  stripes 
ye  are  healed."  Here,  again,  both  truths 
are  thrown  too:ether.  1  Pet.  iii.  18 — 
"Christ  also  hath  once  suiFered  for  sin, 
the  just  for  the  unjust,  that  he  might  bring 
us  to  God./  These,  with  all  the  texts 
which  speak  of  him  as  "dying  for  us," 
and  being  a  "propitiation  for  us,"  and  a 
"  propitiation  for  our  sins,"  (of  which  kind 
hundreds  might  be  adduced,)  prove  the 
doctrine  of  his  substitution  in  our  stead, 
as  plainly  as  language  can  prove  it.  If 
they  do  not  prove  that  the  death  of  Christ 
was  a  true  and  proper  sacrifice  for  sin  in 
our  stead,  human  language  cannot  state  it. 
That  his  righteousness  is  imputed  to  us, 
is  taught  in  language  equally  plain.  And 
I  would  observe  that  all  the  passages  which 
deny  salvation  by  "works,"  the  "deeds 
of  the  law,"  &c.,  by  necessary  implication, 
prove  that  we  are  saved  only  by  the  right- 
eousness of  Christ.  Rom.  iii.  20 — 28 — 
"  Therefore  by  the  deeds  of  the  law  shall 
no  flesh  be  justified  in  his  sight.  But  now 
the  righteousness  of  God  without  the  law 
is  manifested,  *  *  even  the  righteousness 
of  God,  Vvhich  is  by  faith  of  Jesus  Christ, 


100  FREE  GRACE. 

unto  all,  and  upon  all  them  that  believe. 
Being  justified  freely  by  his  grace  through 
the  redemption  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus, 
whom  God  hath  set  forth  to  be  a  propitia- 
tion through  faith  in  his  blood,  to  declare 
his  righteousness  for  the  remission  of  sins 
that  are  past,  through  the  forbearance  of 
God.  To  declare,  I  say,  at  this  time,  his 
righteousness  that  he  might  be  just  and 
the  justifier  of  him  which  believeth  on 
Jesus.  Where  is  boasting  then  ?  It  is  ex- 
cluded. By  what  law?  Of  works?  Nay; 
but  by  the  law  of  faith.  Therefore,  we 
conclude  that  a  man  is  justified  by  faith, 
without  the  deeds  of  the  law."  'Now,  is  it 
not  strange  that  any  one  pretending  to 
common  sense,  and  to  be  guided  by  the 
Bible,  would,  in  the  face  of  all  this  plain 
and  unequivocal  language,  uphold  salva- 
tion by  works,  in  an}^  degree  ^^hatever? 
But  further  still,  the  apostle  reasons  the 
case  at  length  in  the  fourth  chapter ;  and 
in  the  fifth,  in  drawing  a  parallel  between 
Christ  and  Adam,  states  the  doctrine  again 
with  equal  plainness.  Rom.  v.  18 — "  By 
the  righteousness  of  one,  the  free  gift 
came  upon  all  men  unto  justification  of 
life."  Yerse  19 — "By  the  obedience  of 
one  shall  many  be  made  righteous."  Chap. 
X.  3,  4 — "But  they  being  ignorant  of  God's 
righteousness,  and  going  about  to  estab- 
lish their  own  righteousness,  have  not  sub- 


I 


FREE   GRACE.  101 

mitted  themselves  to  the  righteousness  of 
God.  For  Christ  is  the  eud  of  the  law 
for  righteousness  to  every  one  that  be- 
lieveth."  Phil.  iii.  9— ''That  I  may  win 
Christ  and  be  found  in  him,  not  having 
mine  own  righteousness,  which  is  of  the 
law,  but  that  which  is  through  the  faith 
of  Christ,  the  righteousness  which  is  of 
God  b}^  faith."  But  I  need  not  multiply 
quotations,  which  might  be  done  to  almost 
any  extent. 

Con. — I  find  that  the  Calvinistic  doc- 
trines are  justly  styled  the  doctrines  of 
grace,  and  yet  those  who  deny  them,  lay 
strong  claims  to  a  sj^stem  of  "free  grace," 
and  "free  salvation." 

Min. — It  is  only  another  of  their  incon- 
sistencies. How  can  that  be  free,  which 
is  merited  or  bought  by  works  ?  If  our 
good  works  merit  salvation,  it  is  a  contra- 
diction in  terms  to  call  it  free.  So  Paul 
reasons,  Rom.  iv.  4 — "  To  him  that  work- 
eth  is  the  reward  not  reckoned  of  grace, 
but  of  debt."  And  farther,  verse  16 — 
"Therefore  it  is  of  faith,  that  it  might  be 
by  grace."  And  again,  Rom.  xi.  6 — "If 
it  be  of  works,  then  it  is  no  more  grace." 
So,  according  to  Paul,  they  can  lay  no 
claim  to  the  doctrine  of  a  "  free  salvation," 
who  maintain  that  it  is  in  any  sense  by 
works. 

9* 


DIALOGUE  IX. 


GOOD   WORKS. 


Convert. — Since  our  last  conversation  I 
have  been  reflecting  upon  the  doctrine  of 
imputation,  and  examining  the  Bible,  and 
find  that  it  is  one  of  its  plainest  doctrines. 
And  in  taking  all  its  features,  and  view- 
ing them  together,  they  present  a  very- 
grand  scheme,  and  show  the  glorious  work 
of  redemption  in  a  light  that  I  think  must 
Burely  recommend  it  to  any  burdened  and 
heart-broken  sinner,  seeking  to  escape  the 
wrath  of  God.  And  though  I  feel  that  it 
is  the  only  doctrine  upon  which  I  can 
Bafely  depend,  yet  is  it  not  liable  to  objec- 
tion, on  the  ground  that  it  leaves  good 
works  and  holy  living  entirely  out  of 
view  ? 

Minister. — It  only  leaves  them  out  of 
view  as  the  meritorious  ground  of  our 
salvation  ;  but  in  every  other  respect  it  se- 
cures and  establishes  them.  This  is  the 
very  objection  which  Paul  meets  in  the 
last  verse  of  the  third  chapter  of  his  epis- 
tle to  the  Romans.  He  lays  down,  in  lan- 
(102) 


GOOD   WORKS.  103 

guage  tliat  cannot  well  be  misunderstood, 
the  truth  that  we  are  "justified  by  faith, 
without  the  deeds  of  the  law;"  and  then, 
knowing  that  the  objection  you  speak  of 
would  be  urged  against  it,  he  anticipates 
it  in  the  last  verse :  "  Do  we  then  make 
void  the  law  through  faith?"  That  is,  if 
we  by  faith  place  all  our  dependence  for 
salvation  upon  the  righteousness  of  Christ, 
and  none  upon  our  own  obedience  to  the 
law,  will  it  not  make  us  careless  about  that 
obedience,  and  lead  us  to  think  that  the 
law  has  no  further  claims  upon  us,  and 
thus  "make  void  the  law,"  as  requiring 
of  us  a  holy  life  ?  But  how  does  he  an- 
swer it  ?  "  God  forbid :  yea,  we  establish 
the  law."  This  might  be  sufficient;  but 
it  will  not  be  amiss  to  look  a  little  further, 
and  see  how  faith  establishes  the  law. 
We  have  already  seen  how  it  establishes 
the  law,  in  answering  all  its  claims  through 
the  righteousness  of  Christ;  and  that  it 
establishes  it  also  as  the  believer's  rule  of 
life,  is  equally  plain.  To  show  this,  I 
need  not  go  further  than  your  own  expe- 
rience. When  you  first  obtained  a  hope 
of  salvation  through  Christ,  what  seemed 
to  be  the  most  prominent  feeling  of  your 
heart  ? 

Con. — I  was  overwhelmed  with  a  sense 
of  the  love  of  God,  as  manifested  through 


104  GOOD  WORKS. 

the  Saviour.  And  when  I  thouorlit  of  the 
Son  of  God,  suiFering  and  dying  to  re- 
deem me  from  hell,  I  felt  as  if  it  would  be 
the  joy  of  my  life  to  serve  him  with  my 
whole  heart. 

Min. — Do  you  think  it  possible  for  any 
one  to  exercise  faith  in  Christ  for  salva- 
tion, without  experiencing,  in  some  de- 
gree, the  same  feelings  of  love  and  devo- 
tion ? 

Con, — I  do  not  see  how  it  is  possible  for 
any  one  to  look  to  the  Son  of  God  as  his 
Saviour,  without  loving  and  desiring  to 
serve  him ;  and  at  the  same  time,  desiring 
to  be  made  holv,  and  conformed  to  his  im- 
age  and  example. 

3Iin. — You  have  now  answered  the  ob- 
jection in  your  own  experience,  which  is, 
in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  the  experience 
of  every  true  Christian.  True  faith  will 
never  be  found  in  the  heart  of  any  one, 
without  producing  its  legitimate  effects, 
love  to  Christ,  hatred  of  sin,  and  a  desire 
after  holiness,  and  conformity  to  the  law 
of  God  in  all  its  parts.  So  Paul  describes 
it.  Gal.  V.  6 — "Faith  which  worketh  by 
love."  And  Peter,  in  Acts  xv.  9,  ascribes 
to  it  the  effect  of  "purifying  the  heart." 
And  in  Acts  xxvi.  18,  we  are  said  to  be 
"  sanctified  by  faith."  So  it  is  plain,  both 
from  Christian  experience  and  from  Scrip- 


GOOD   WORKS.  105 

ture,  that  the  effect  of  faith  is  to  produce 
love  and  holiness  in  the  heart  of  the  be- 
liever; and  thus  his  sanctilication  is  car- 
ried on.  Faitli  is  the  first  act  of  a  regen- 
erated soul ;  and  then  immediately  the 
work  of  sanctification  commences,  which 
is  carried  on  through  the  instrumentality 
of  faith.  It  sanctifies  as  well  as  justifies. 
Just  as  surely  as  any  one  has  the  faith  that 
justifies,  he  has  also  the  faith  that  sancti- 
fies. It  is  impossible  to  separate  them. 
It  is  true,  faith  is  not  meritorious  in  either 
case,  but  only  instrumental ;  but  it  is  al- 
ways just  as  surely  instrumental  of  the 
one  as  of  the  other.  It  is  absurd  to  suppose 
that  an}'  one  can  have  faith  in  Christ,  that 
is,  depend  upon  him  for  salvation,  without 
loving  him;  and  it  is  equally  absurd  to 
suppose  that  any  one  could  love  him,  with- 
out at  the  same  time  desiring  to  obey  all 
his  commands.  And  I  know  not  how  any 
true  Christian,  who  really  loves  his  Saviour, 
and  understands  his  own  heart,  can  plead 
the  objection  that  an  entire  dependence 
upon  Christ  for  salvation,  weakens  his 
sense  of  obligation  and  "makes  void  the 
law."  It  is  a  reflection  cast  upon  true  re- 
ligion, unworthy  of  a  Christian. 

All  this  is  plainly  taught  in  our  Confes- 
sion of  Faith,  as  well  as  the  Bible.  Chap. 
11,  sec.  2 — "Faith,   thus  receiving  and 


106  GOOD   WORKS. 

resting  on  Christ  and  liis  righteousness,  is 
the  alone  instrument  of  justification  ;  yet 
it  is  not  alone,  in  the  person  justified,  hut 
is  ever  accompanied  with  all  other  saving 
graces ;  and  is  no  dead  fixith,  but  v^orketh 
by  love."  Again,  chap.  16,  sec.  2 — "These 
good  works,  done  in  obedience  to  God's 
commandments,  are  the  fruits  and  evi- 
dences of  a  true  and  lively  faith,"  &c. 
And  that  faith  should,  and  does  produce 
these  eftects,  is  surely  a  dictate  of  common 
sense.  Let  any  one  have  true  faith,  and 
then  holiness  of  heart  and  life  is  a  certain 
consequence. 

Con. — But  is  faith  not  sometimes  to  be 
understood  in  a  more  extended  sense,  than 
simply  depending  on  and  trusting  in  Christ 
for  salvation  ? 

Min. — Though  this  is  its  principal  act, 
it  extends  to,  and  acts  upon,  everything 
that  God  has  revealed.  As  it  is  expressed 
in  our  Confession,  chap.  14,  sec.  2 — "By 
this  faith  a  Christian  believeth  to  be  true 
whatsoever  is  revealed  in  the  word,  for  the 
authority  of  God  himself  speaking  therein ; 
and  acteth  difterently  upon  that  which 
each  particular  passage  thereof  contain- 
eth ;  yielding  obedience  to  the  commands, 
trembling  at  the  threatenings,  and  embrac- 
ing the  promises  of  God  for  this  life,  and 
that  which  is  to  come,"  &c.     The  apostle 


GOOD  WORKS.  107 

also  says,  "  By  faith  we  know  the  worlds 
were  made,"  &c.  And  again,  "He  that 
Cometh  to  God  must  believe  that  he  is, 
and  that  he  is  the  rewarder  of  them  that 
diligently  seek  him."  But  faith  in  all 
these  acts  is  subordinate,  and  dependent 
for  its  right  exercise  upon  the  principal 
act.  It  is  only  when  we  are  brought  to 
look  to  God  through  Christ,  that  we  have 
right  views  of  his  character  as  he  is  re- 
vealed in  his  word,  and  admit  with  the 
heart  all  his  claims.  Then  we  see,  in  a  true 
light,  what  he  says  of  the  evil  of  sin,  the 
justness  of  our  condemnation,  and  the 
freeness  of  his  mercy  and  grace  in  our 
justification.  Then,  when  we  look  into 
his  word,  all  its  blessed  truths  come  home 
to  our  hearts,  with  a  point  and  clearness 
before  unknown.  Its  threatenings  and 
promises,  precepts  and  exhortations,  have 
a  peculiar  force  and  pungency,  which  tell 
upon  our  conduct  and  pursuits,  and  pro- 
duce earnest  desires  for  sincere  and  con- 
stant obedience.  '-With  the  heart,  man 
believeth  unto  righteousness."  Thus  faith 
secures  holiness;  and  view  it  as  we  may, 
either  in  its  principal  act  of  dependence 
on  Christ  for  salvation,  or  in  its  cordial  ac- 
ceptance and  approval  of  all  the  other 
truths  of  God's  word,  it  "establishes  the 
law"  as  the  great  rule  of  obedience,  in 


108  GOOD  WORKS. 

conformity  to  wbicli  the  believer  strives 
to  live.  "Working  by  love,"  which  is 
^'the  fulfilling  of  the  law,"  it  secures  this 
glorious  result,  wherever  it  is  found  in  sin- 
cerity and  truth. 

Thus,  the  plan  of  salvation  exhibits  the 
wisdom  of  God  in  all  its  features.  It 
saves  lost  sinners,  transforms  them  from 
sin,  and  secures  the  practice  of  holiness^ 
yet  in  a  way  that  excludes  boasting  or  self- 
glorification  in  the  smallest  degree,  and 
gives  all  the  praise  to  God. 

Co7i. — But  is  there  not  some  sense  in 
which  faith  and  holiness  commend  us  to 
God? 

jMin. — They  commend  us  to  God  as  obe- 
dient children  striving  after  conformity  to 
his  law,  and  reflecting  his  image.  Eph. 
V.  1,  2 — "  Be  ye  followers  of  God  as  dear 
children,  and  walk  in  love,  as  Christ  also 
hath  loved  us,  and  given  himself  for  us." 
Of  such  Paul  says,  Kom.  ii.  29 — "  Whose 
praise  is  not  of  men,  but  of  God."  Indeed, 
the  Scriptures  everywhere  teach  that  good 
works,  by  which  I  mean  all  the  graces  of 
piety  brought  out  into  active  operation, 
are  pleasing  to  God;  and  only  in  their 
performance  can  we  expect  his  blessing, 
and  the  approving  smiles  of  his  counte- 
nance. And  this  is  said  to  be  one  grand 
object  of  salvation.     Tit.  ii.   14— "That 


GOOD   WORKS.  109 

he  might  purify  to  himself  a  peculiar  peo- 
ple, zealous  of  good  works."  Besides, 
they  are  evidences  of  the  sincerity  of  our 
faith,  hoth  to  God  and  man.  It  is  only  in 
their  performance  that  we  can  *'  let  our 
light  shine,"  and  exhibit  to  the  world  the 
excellency  of  that  religion  we  profess. 
They  are  the  true  tests  of  Christian  love ; 
and  even  in  the  sight  of  God  prove  our 
faith  to  be  of  the  right  kind.  As  he  said 
to  Abraham,  "Kow  I  know  that  thou 
fearest  God."  And  the  apostle  James 
tells  us,  that  ^'by  works  his  faith  was 
made  perfect." — James  ii.  22.  That  is,  it 
was  proved  to  be  of  the  right  kind. 

Con. — But  does  not  James  say  in  the 
same  connection,  that  Abraham  was  justi- 
fied by  works  ?  And  hoAV  is  this  to  be  re- 
conciled with  the  language  of  Paul  ? 

Min. — The  most  common  interpretation 
given  to  the  language  of  James  is,  that  he 
was  speaking  of  our  justification  in  the 
sight  of  men.  And  it  is  true,  that  it  is 
only  by  good  works  that  we  can  sustain  a 
Christian  character.  But  the  apostle  evi- 
dently speaks  of  justification  in  the  sight 
of  God ;  for  he  says  in  the  14th  verse, 
"Can  faith  save  him?"  The  doctrines 
called  Antinomianism  were  prevalent  in 
the  days  of  the  apostle,  which  taught  that 
the  gospel  released  believers  from  obe- 
10 


110  GOOD  WORKS. 

dience  to  the  law,  and  it  is  very  evident 
that  it  was  against  this  that  James  was 
Avriting,  and  also  no  doubt  to  refute  the 
doctrine  that  justifying  faith  was  a  mere 
speculative  belief,  which  produced  no  sanc- 
tifying influence  upon  the  heart.  In  verse 
14  he  says,  "What  doth  it  profit,  my  bre- 
thren, though  a  man  say  he  have  faith  and 
have  not  works?  can  faith  save  him?" 
That  is,  can  that  kind  of  faith  save  him  ? 
In  the  original  it  is  "-he  pistis,''  the  faith, 
or  the  kind  of  faith  mentioned.  In  the 
19th  verse  he  says,  "Thou  believest  there 
is  one  God ;  thou  dost  well ;  the  devils 
also  believe  and  tremble."  From  this  it 
is  very  plain  that  the  faith  of  which  he  is 
speaking,  and  which  he  says  cannot  save 
a  man,  is  the  same  that  the  devils  have ; 
and  he  adds  in  the  following  verses,  "  Wilt 
thou  know,  0  vain  man,  that  faith  with- 
out works  is  dead  ?  Was  not  Abraham, 
our  father,  justified  by  works  when  he  had 
offered  Isaac  his  son  upon  the  altar? 
Seest  thou  how  faith  wrought  with  his 
works,  and  by  works  was  faith  made  per- 
fect? And  the  Scripture  was  fulfilled 
which  saith,  Abraham  believed  God,  and 
it  was  imputed  unto  him  for  righteousness. 
Ye  see^  then,  how  that  by  works  a  man  is 
'justified,  and  not  by  faith  only."  The 
•Scripture,   which    the    apostle   says   was 


GOOD  WORKS.  m 

fulfilled  by  Abraham  offering  his  son,  is 
Gen.  XV.  6.  "And  he  believed  in  the 
Lord,  and  he  counted  it  to  him  for  right- 
eousness." The  faith  that  Abraham  exer- 
cised in  this  instance  was  belief  and  con- 
fidence in  the  promise  that  he  should  have 
a  son,  including  the  promise  of  a  Sa- 
vior. It  was  by  this  act  of  faith  that 
Abraham  was  justified,  as  Paul  tells  us  in 
Eom.  iv.  3,  10,  11 — "Abraham  believed 
God,  and  it  was  counted  unto  him  for 
ri2:hteousness."     "How  w^as  it  then  reck- 

o  ... 

oned?  When  he  was  m  circumcision,  or 
in  uncircumcision  ?  Not  in  circumcision, 
but  in  uncircumcision.  And  he  received 
the  sign  of  circumcision,  a  seal  of  the  right- 
eousness of  the  faith  which  he  had,  yet 
being  uncircumcised." 

Here  both  apostles  are  plainly  together, 
in  teaching  that  Abraham  was  justified  by 
that  act  of  faith.  But  this  was  more  than 
twenty  years  before  the  oftering  of  his  son, 
in  which  James  says  this  Scripture  was 
fulfilled.  Xow,  will  any  one  pretend  that 
the  apostle  intended  to  teach,  that  Abra- 
ham was  not  justified  until  he  offered  his 
son?  This  would  be  inconsistent  botii 
with  scripture  and  common  sense,  and  the 
language  of  the  apostle  himself  In  what 
sense,  then,  was  this  scripture  fulfilled  in 
the  offering  of  his  son  ?     Plainly  in  this, 


112  GOOD   WORKS. 

that  lie  thereby  proved  his  faith  to  be  of 
the  right  kind,  a  genuine  faith  of  the  gos- 
pel, working  by  love,  and  producing  obe- 
dience to  the  commands  of  God.  There 
is  no  other  conceivable  sense  in  which  it 
could  be  fulfilled.  Neither  can  we  suppose 
that  the  apostle  intended  to  teach,  that 
true  evangelical  faith  is  ever  found  with- 
out good  works;  and  unless  we  deny  a 
plain  passage  of  scripture,  written  by 
Moses,  and  quoted  by  both  James  and 
Paul,  we  must  conclude  that  he  only  in- 
tended to  teach,  that  we  cannot  be  justi- 
fied by  a  ''dead  faith,"  which  is  "without 
works;"  and  that  a  believing,  active  faith, 
which  "works  by  love  and  purifies  the 
heart,"  is  necessary  to  our  justification. 
For  he  expressly  says,  that  "Abraham's 
faith  was  perfected  by  his  works,"  that  is, 
he  showed  thereby  that  it  was  not  a  dead 
faith.  Therefore  we  are  "justified  by 
works,  and  not  by  faith  only,"  inas- 
much as  they  are  the  evidence  and  certain 
fruits  of  a  justifying  faith.  A  faith  that 
does  not  produce  them  is  not  only  useless, 
but  is  worse  than  useless.  It  is  a  cheat, 
an  injury  to  ourselves  and  others.  When 
we,  in  the  exercise  of  faith,  confide  our- 
selves to  Christ  for  salvation,  we  do  it 
upon  his  own  terms,  one  of  which  is,  to 
do  whatsoever  he  commands.     To  do  this 


GOOD  WORKS.  113 

is  not  only  the  obligation,  but  the  desire 
of  every  one  who  is  truly  united  to  him 
by  faith.  He  who  has  the  good  works 
w^hich  spring  from  true  faith  is  justified, 
but  he  who  has  them  not  is  not  justified, 
for  they  are  inseparable.  "Without  holi- 
ness no  man  shall  see  the  Lord." 

Con. — But  is  there  not  some  sense  in 
which  our  good  works  merit  reward  ? 

Min. — They  will  be  rewarded ;  but  it 
will  still  be  of  grace.  Christ  tells  us,  Luke 
xvii.  10 — "When  ye  shall  have  done  all 
these  things  which  are  commanded  you, 
say,  we  are  unprofitable  servants ;  we  have 
done  that  which  was  our  duty  to  do." 
Still  they  will  all  be  graciously  rewarded. 
Matt.  X.  42 — "  A  cup  of  cold  water  given 
to  a  disciple  in  the  name  of  a  disciple, 
shall  not  lose  its  reward."  Moses,  we  are 
told,  Heb.  xi.  26,  "had  respect  unto  the 
recompense  of  reward."  We  need  not 
fear  that  God  will  overlook  anything  done 
with  love  to  him  through  faith  in  his  Son. 
It  is  revealed  as  one  great  ingredient  in 
our  happiness  in  heaven,  that  "  our  works 
shall  follow  us." — Rev.  xiv.  13.  We  need 
not  fear  to  expect  too  much  at  the  hand 
of  God.  Only  let  us  expect  it  in  the  right 
way,  "not  of  debt,  but  of  grace."  Our 
works  follow  us  in  heaven.  They  do  not 
go  before,  to  open  the  heavenly  gates,  or 
10* 


114  GOOD   WORKS. 

gain  us  access  there.  That  is  done  by  our 
baviour.  But  they  follow  us,  and  shall  be 
taken  account  of  by  our  Saviour.  "  I  was 
an  hungered,  and  ye  gave  me  meat,"  &c. 
And  whilst  we  shall  rejoice  in  the  gracious 
and  glorious  reward  which  he  condescends 
to  bestow  upon  our  poor  service,  the  bur- 
den of  our  song  shall  be  "  to  the  praise  of 
the  glory  of  his  grace." — Eph.  i.  6. 

Con. — There  is  a  passage  of  Scripture 
that  I  have  met  with  somewhere,  which 
says,  "whatsoever  is  not  of  faith,  is  sin;" 
which  I  found  difficult  to  understand ;  but 
I  think  I  now  begin  to  see  its  meaning. 
As  faith  is  the  foundation  of  the  other 
graces,  nothing  is  acceptable  to  God  which 
does  not  flow  from  right  feelings.  But 
still,  is  there  nothing  good  in  the  outward 
morality  and  upright  conduct  of  those  who 
are  out  of  Christ  ? 

Min. — This  involves  the  doctrine  of 
ability,  or  what  a  man  can  do,  and  what 
he  cannot  do,  in  his  natural  state,  which 
we  will  consider  at  our  next  interview. 


DIALOGUE  X. 


INABILITY. 


Convert. — In  examining  the  Confession 
of  Faith,  since  our  last  interview,  I  find, 
in  chapter  9,  sec.  3,  the  following  lan- 
guage, respecting  man's  inabilit}^ ;  "  Man, 
by  his  fall  into  a  state  of  sin,  hath  wholly 
lost  all  ability  of  will  to  any  spiritual  good, 
accompanying  salvation ;  so,  as  a  natural 
man,  being  altogether  averse  from  that 
which  is  good,  and  dead  in  sin,  is  not  able, 
by  his  own  strength,  to  convert  himself,  or 
prepare  himself  thereunto." 

But  the  Bible  commands  men  to  repent 
and  believe,  and  to  make  to  themselves 
new  hearts,  &c.  Kow,  is  there  not  a  seem- 
ing inconsistency  in  commanding  what 
there  is  no  ability  to  perform  ? 

Minister. — There  can  be  no  inconsis- 
tency in  commanding  any  one  to  the  ex- 
tent of  his  obligation.  Whatever  is  the 
duty  of  any  one,  God  has  a  right  to  com- 
mand, regardless  of  inability,  when  that 
inabilit}^  is  brought  on  by  the  sinner  him- 
self, and  is  in  itself  wrong.     It  is  surely 

(115) 


116  INABILITY. 

the  duty  of  all  to  love  God.     It  is  a  plain 
dictate  of  commou  sense,  that  when  any 
one  has  done  wrong,  he  ought  to  repent 
of  it.     But  how  can  he  repent  of  it  if  he 
loves  the  wrong  ?    "We  know  that  all  men 
naturally  love  sin,  and  hate  God.     How 
can  they  repent  of  sin  while  they  love  it  ? 
or  how  can  they  love  God  while  they  hate 
him?     This   is  the   "inability   of   wdll," 
of  which  the  Confession  speaks.    The  will 
is  influenced  in  choosing  and  refusing,  by 
the  state  of  the  heart.     It  is  this  that  al- 
ways  gives   weight  to   the  motives  pre- 
sented.    Whilst  the  heart  is  filled  with 
enmity  to  God,  all  motives  to  love  him  are 
presented  in  vain.    'Now,  the  simple  ques- 
tion is,  can  a  man  change  his  own  heart  ? 
"Wliat  resources   has   he  within  himself, 
that  he  can  bring  to  bear  upon  the  deep 
rooted  enmity  of  his  heart,  that  will  pro- 
duce such  a  change  in  the  inner  man,  as 
to  fill  him  with  love  for  that  which  he 
hates  ?     The  only  faculty  that  could  pos- 
sibly have  any  such  eftect,  is  the  under- 
standing, or  judgment;  but  it  is  so  dark- 
ened, that  it  can  have  no  proper  concep- 
tion of  holy  and  spiritual  things.     "The 
natural   man,"  says   Paul,   1  Cor.  ii.  14, 
"  receive th  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of 
God,  for  they  are  foolishness  unto  him ; 
neither  can  he  know  them,  because  they 


INABILITY.  117 

are  spiritually  discerned."  The  apostle  is 
contrasting  the  "  spiritual"  and  "  natural 
man,"  that  is,  the  regenerate  and  unregen- 
erate,  and  this  is  what  he  tells  us  of  the  un- 
regenerate.  And  the  language  he  uses  is 
much  stronger  than  that  used  in  our  con- 
fession. "  The  natural  man  receiveth  not 
the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God."  He  re- 
jects them.  All  the  motives  hy  which 
their  acceptance  may  be  urged,  are  entirely 
without  avail.  And  why  ?  Because  "  they 
are  foolishness  unto  him" — he  has  no 
proper  conception  of  them.  "  iJs'either  can 
he  know  them."  He  can  have  no  proper 
understanding  of  their  value,  excellence,  or 
necessity,  ''  because  they  are  spiritually 
discerned."  In  order  to  see  them  aright, 
and  appreciate  them,  he  must  be  made  a 
"  spiritual  man."  His  understanding  must 
be  enlightened,  and  his  affections  changed. 
How  any  one  can  take  a  plain  common 
sense  view  of  this  passage  of  Scripture 
alone,  in  its  obvious  sense,  and  yet  contend 
for  the  doctrine  of  full  abilit}^,  I  am  at  a 
loss  to  see.  Yet,  it  is  equally  plain,  that 
those  very  things  to  which  the  "  natural 
man"  is  thus  wholly  disinclined,  he  is  un- 
der the  strongest  obligation  to  perform.  It 
is  his  duty  to  love  God  with  all  his  heart, 
and  to  "receive  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of 
God,"  and  practise  upon  them — to  repent 


118  INABILITY. 

of  liis  sins,  and  to  turn  to  God.  Hence,  it 
is  perfectly  consistent  for  God  to  command 
the  sinner  thus  to  do.  It  would  be  giving 
up  the  claims  of  his  law  if  he  did  not. 

Con. — But  is  not  the  inability  in  the  case 
inconsistent  with  the  obligation  ? 

Min. — The  idea  that  ability  is  the  mea- 
sure of  obligation  is  not  uncommon  ;  and 
of  late  has  been  widely  propagated  as  an 
axiom  in  morals  and  theology,  and  is  hailed 
by  many  as  a  new  discovery,  that  is  to  clear 
up  the  knotty  points  of  perfect  freedom  of 
will,  and  absolute  dependence  on  God.  It 
is  boldly  asserted,  that  man  is  under  no 
obligation  to  do  anything,  for  which  he  has 
not  full  and  perfect  ability  in  himself.  But 
this  position  is  one  of  the  most  glaring  ab- 
surdities to  be  found  in  the  whole  catalogue 
of  errors,  now  afloat.  If  inability  cancels 
obligation,  Satan  is  under  no  obligation  to 
love  God,  and  his  fiendish  enmity  to  God 
and  immortal  souls  is  no  sin.  If  I  murder 
the  head  of  a  helpless  family,  I  am  only 
accountable  for  the  murder,  and  not  for  the 
wretchedness  and  misery  that  I  thus  bring 
upon  the  family,  which  I  have  no  power  to 
alleviate.  My  inability  to  soothe  the  sor- 
rows, and  alleviate  the  wants  of  the  widow 
and  orphans,  cancels  my  obligation.  There 
is  no  escape  from  such  dreadful  consequen- 
ces of  the  doctrine,  except  its  abettors  will 


INABILITY.  119 

go  one  step  further  back,  and  say  that  God 
is  the  author  of  man's  inability  to  obey  his 
commands.  This,  I  presume,  none  will 
dare  do.  Man's  inability  is  his  own  fault ; 
and  to  pretend  that  it  frees  him  from 
obligation,  subverts  all  moral  government. 
Sin,  then,  is  its  own  apology.  The  sin- 
ner can  stand  up  boldly  and  say,  I  am 
not  able  in  myself  to  love  God.  I  hate  him 
so  that  I  cannot  love  him  ;  therefore  I  am 
not  under  obligation  to  love  him.  It  lifts 
the  sinner  above  the  law  of  God.  He  re- 
quires obedience  ;  the  sinner  disables  him- 
self; and,  therefore,  he  is  not  bound  to 
obey.  Rebellion  against  God  is  then  the 
only  sure  road  to  independence.  But  I 
need  not  follow  such  absurdities  further. 
You  can  see  clearly,  that  man's  inability 
to  obey  the  law  of  God,  can  in  no  sense 
free  him  from  obligation. 

Con. — But  has  not  man  some  kind  of 
ability  ?  I  have  some  where  in  the  course 
of  m}'  reading  met  with  the  doctrine  that 
man  is  naturally  able  to  love  and  serve  God, 
but  morally  unable — that  is,  he  could  if  he 
would. 

Min. — That  the  sinner's  inability  is  mor- 
al, is  admitted  on  all  hands  ;  and  that  it  is 
of  such  a  nature  that  he  could  obey  if  he 
would,  is  not,  I  believe,  denied  by  any. 
But  this  is  the  same  as  saying  he  could 


120  INABILITY. 

love  God,  if  he  loved  him.  The  unwil- 
lingness to  obey — the  aversion  to  God,  and 
holiness — is  the  inability  in  the  case.  This 
is  the  moral  state  of  the  soul ;  it  is  wick- 
edly unwilling,  and  therefore  unable,  with- 
out a  gracious  change.  Until  such  a  change 
is  effected,  the  sinner  never  will  love  God ; 
and  in  this  sense,  using  the  language  of 
the  Bible,  we  say  he  cannot,  that  is,  there 
is  no  cause  to  produce  the  effect.  Christ 
says,  "  No  man  can  come  to  me,  except  the 
Father  which  has  sent  me,  draw  him."  And, 
again,  he  shows  the  nature  of  this  inability : 
"  Ye  will  not  come  to  me,  that  ye  might 
have  life." 

If  those  who  contend  that  the  sinner  has 
a  natural  ability,  would  tell  us  plainly  what 
they  mean  by  it,  and  what  it  amounts  to, 
we  would  know  better  how  to  answer  them. 
If  they  mean  by  it  that  he  has  all  his  natu- 
ral faculties,  we  admit  it.  But  if  these  are 
not  a  sufficient  cause  to  produce  the  effect, 
why  contend  that  they  constitute  an  ability 
to  do  that  which  they  cannot  do  ?  Man 
has  ability  to  love,  and  therefore  has  ability 
to  love  God,  is  about  the  amount  of  their 
reasoning.  But  this  is  about  as  wise  as  to 
say,  that  because  it  is  the  nature  of  water 
to  flow,  it  therefore  has  a  natural  ability  to 
flow  up  hill.  This  strikes  you  as  an  amusing 
absurdity ;  but  it  is  not  a  whit  more  absurd 


INABILITY.  121 

than  to  contend,  because  man  has  all  his 
nr.tnral  faculties,  that,  therefore,  he  has  a 
natural  ability  to  love  God.  The  nature  of 
water  is  a  cause  just  as  adequate  to  the  pro- 
duction of  the  effect  in  the  one  case,  as  the 
nature  of  man  in  the  other.  All  his  affec- 
tions and  inclinations  are  turned  away  from 
God,  and  flow  in  an  opposite  direction. 

Con. — But  we  daily  see  men  of  the  world 
living  in  some  degree  according  to  the 
commands  of  God.  We  see  honesty,  so- 
briety, and  in  short,  morality  in  all  its 
moral  beauty,  exhibited  in  the  lives  of  un- 
regenerate  men.  Does  not  this  contradict 
the  idea  of  a  total  inability  to  do  good  ? 

Min, — Man  has  an  ability  to  do  many 
things  that  are  good  in  themselves,  and  in- 
deed, to  do  anything  predicable  of  his  na- 
ture as  man,  which  he  chooses  to  do,  or 
in  other  words,  that  he  is  willing  to  do. 
As  it  respects  outward  morality,  many  mo- 
tives may  be  brought  to  bear,  which  will 
induce  men  to  live  in  accordance  with  its 
rules,  viz.  a  respect  for  public  opinion,  a 
desire  of  reputation,  &c., — and  not  unfre- 
quently,  a  hope  that  thereby  they  may  re- 
commend themselves  to  God,  and  finally 
escape  hell.  Sometimes,  indeed,  it  is  their 
enmity  to  God  and  rehgion,  that  induces 
them  to  live  lives  of  strict  morality,  that 
thereby  they  may  compare  with  the  Chris- 

11 


122  INABILITY. 

tian,  whom  they  watch  with  an  eagle  eye, 
and  endeavour  to  magnify  his  failures,  in 
order  to  bring  reproach  upon  religion.  In 
all  these  instances,  however,  it  is  easy  to 
see  that  "  God  is  not  in  all  their  thoughts." 
Their  hearts  are  still  alienated  from  him, 
and  thev  refuse  to  acknowleds-e  his  au- 
thority.  They  live  morally,  not  because  God 
has  required  it,  but  from  some  other  selfish 
motive.  Thc}^  refuse  to  pray,  neglect  and 
violate  the  Sabbath,  refuse  to  repent  and 
confess  the  Son  of  God,  neglect  or  oppose 
religion,  and  in  short  exhibit  very  plainly 
the  enmitv  of  their  hearts  to  God.  It  is 
true,  they  will  not  admit  that  they  hate 
God,  and  perhaps  they  think  they  do  not; 
but  if  they  hate  religion  and  holiness,  they 
hate  God,  for  this  is  his  character.  They 
cannot  hate  the  one  without  hating  the 
other,  or  love  the  one  without  loving  the 
other.  If  any  one  love  God,  he  will  love 
religion,  and  yield  himself  in  obedience  to 
its  dictates ;  and  if  he  hate  religion,  he 
hates  God.  They  are  inseparable.  Hence, 
Paul  says,  Rom.  viii.  7 — "  The  carnal  mind 
is  enmity  against  God ;  for  it  is  not  subject 
to  the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed  can  be." 
The  apostle,  you  perceive,  couples  the  hat- 
ing of  God  and  his  •  law  together,  as  char- 
acteristic of  every  unregenerate  man. 
Then  while   the  heart  is   thus  at  enmity 


INABILITY.  123 

with  God,  the  strictest  outward  morality 
is  nothing  in  his  sight,  for  he  tells  us  him- 
self, "The  Lord  looketh  on  the  heart." 
Thus  you  perceive,  that  the  doctrine  of 
man's  inahility  to  change  his  own  heart, 
and  perform  acceptable  obedience,  is  not 
inconsistent  with  the  fact,  that  unregener- 
ate  men  are  often  moral  in  their  lives. 

Con. — But  does  it  not  destroy  the  dis- 
tinction between  right  and  wrong,  to  main- 
tain that  the  moral  man  does  no  more  to  re- 
commend him  to  God,  than  the  grossly 
wicked  ? 

Min. — It  is  not  meant  that  they  are  both 
viewed  precisely  in  the  same  light.  Christ 
commends  the  Pharisees  for  their  morality, 
but  reproves  them  for  neglecting  "the 
weightier  matters  of  the  law,  judgment, 
mercy,  and  faith;"  and  tells  them,  also, 
that  they  could  not  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  heaven,  or  be  accepted  of  God,  because 
in  all  their  boasted  morality  their  hearts 
were  not  right.  All  these  things  ye  do, 
that  ye  may  be  seen  of  men.  Verily,  I 
say  unto  you,  ye  have  your  reward.  God 
has  so  arranged,  in  his  providence  and  go- 
vernment, that  morality  and  amiability  are 
rewarded.  Or,  perhaps,  it  would  be  better 
to  say,  that  the  reward  which  we  most  earn- 
estly seek  shall  be  obtained.  The  supreme 
desire  of  the  Pharisees  was  to  obtain  a  high 


124  INABILITY. 

religious  reputation,  and  they  obtained 
it.  They  had  their  reward.  If  a  man 
wishes  to  obtain  the  character  of  honesty, 
and  gain  the  confidence  of  his  neighbours, 
let  him  pursue  the  proper  course,  and  he 
will  obtain  it — he  has  his  reward.  If 
a  child  loves  his  parents,  and  wishes  to  re- 
tain their  affection  and  confidence,  he  has 
but  to  pursue  the  proper  course,  and  he  ob- 
tains it — he  has  his  reward.  But  still 
it  is  true,  in  all  such  cases,  that "  to  be  seen 
of  men"  is  the  ruling  motive,  and  "  God 
is  not  in  all  their  thoughts."  They  would 
pursue  the  same  course  if  God  had  given 
no  law;  and  as  it  respects  his  require- 
ments, their  hearts  are  still  in  a  state  of 
rebellion.  They  reject  Christ,  and  the 
authority  of  God,  altogether.  And  as 
there  are  dififerent  degrees  of  punishment 
in  the  future  world,  they  may  not,  per- 
haps, be  "  beaten  with  as  manj^  stripes" 
as  the  grossly  wicked,  yet  they  are  equally 
far  from  salvation,  until  the  enmity  of  their 
hearts  is  changed,  and  they  are  led  to  the 
practice  of  morality  and  religion  from  love 
to  God. 

This  may  be  illusti'ated  on  the  simple 
principles  of  common  justice  and  common 
sense.  In  a  gang  of  pirates  we  may  find 
many  things  that  are  good  in  themselves. 
Though  they    are    in    wicked    rebellion 


INABILITY.  125 

against  the  laws  of  tlie  government,  tliey 
have  their  own  laws  and  regulations,  which 
they  obey  strictly.  We  may  find  among 
them  courage  and  fidelity,  with  many  other 
things  that  will  recommend'  them  as  pi- 
rates. They  may  do  many  things,  too, 
which  the  laws  of  the  government  require, 
but  they  are  not  done  because  the  govern- 
ment has  so  required,  but  in  obedience  to 
their  own  regulations.  For  instance,  the 
government  requires  honesty,  and  they 
may  be  strictly  honest,  one  with  another, 
in  their  transactions,  and  the  division  of 
all  their  spoil.  Yet,  as  it  respects  the  go- 
vernment, and  the  general  principle,  their 
whole  life  is  one  of  the  most  wicked  dis- 
honesty. Now,  it  is  plain,  that  whilst  they 
continue  in  their  rebellion  they  can  do 
nothing  to  recommend  them  to  the  go- 
vernment as  citizens.  Their  first  step 
must  be  to  give  up  their  rebellion,  ac- 
knowledge their  allegiance  to  the  govern- 
ment, and  sue  for  mercy.  So  all  men,  in 
their  natural  state,  are  rebels  against  God ; 
and  though  they  may  do  many  things 
which  the  law  of  God  requires,  and  which 
will  recommend  them  as  men,  yet  nothing 
is  done  with  reference  to  God  and  his  law. 
But  the  regulations  of  society,  respect  for 
public  opinion,  self-interest,  their  own 
character  in  the  sight  of  the  world,  or  some 
11* 


126  INABILITY. 

other  worldly  or  wicked  motive,  reigns 
supremely ;  and  God,  to  whom  they  owe 
their  heart  and  lives,  is  forgotten ;  or,  if 
thought  of  at  all,  his  claims  are  wickedly 
rejected,  his  counsels  spurned,  and  the 
heart,  in  obstinate  rebellion,  refuses  obe- 
dience. 'Now,  it  is  plain,  that  while  the 
heart  continues  in  this  state  the  man  is  a 
rebel  against  God,  and  can  do  nothing  to 
recommend  himself  to  his  favour.  The 
first  step  is  to  give  up  his  rebellion,  repent 
of  his  sins,  turn  to  God,  and  sue  for  par- 
don and  reconciliation  through  the  Saviour. 
This  he  is  unwilling  to  do,  until  he  is  made 
willing.  He  loves  his  sins,  and  will  con- 
tinue to  love  them,  until  his  heart  is 
changed. 

You  can  now  see  clearly  the  force  of  the 
passage  of  Scripture,  which  you  spoke  of 
in  our  last  conversation — "  Whatsoever  is 
not  of  faith  is  sin" — Rom.  xiv.  23.  The 
same  truth  is  stated  in  Rom.  viii.  8 — 
"  They  that  are  in  the  flesh  cannot  please 
God."  And  Heb.  xi.  6—"  Without  faith 
it  is  impossible  to  please  him." 

Con. — Are  we  then  to  conclude  that  all 
the  good  actions  of  unregenerate  men  are 
Bins? 

Min. — They  are  not  positively  sinful  in 
themselves,  but  sinfal  from  defect.  They 
lack  the  principle  w^hich  alone  can  make 


USABILITY.  127 

them  righteous  in  the  sight  of  God.  In 
the  ease  of  the  pirates  it  is  easy  to  see  that 
all  their  actions  are  sin  against  the  govern- 
ment. While  they  continue  pirates,  their 
sailing,  mending,  or  rigging  their  yessel, 
and  even  their  eating  and  drinking,  are  all 
sins  in  the  eyes  of  the  government,  as 
they  are  only  so  many  expedients  to  ena- 
ble them  to  continue  their  j^iratical  career, 
and  are  parts  of  their  life  of  rebellion.  So 
with  sinners.  While  the  heart  is  wrong, 
it  vitiates  evervthins:  in  the  sio-ht  of  God, 
even  their  most  ordinary  occupations ;  for 
the  plain,  unequivocal  language  of  God  is, 
"The  ploughing  of  the  wicked  is  sin." 
Prov.  xxi.  4. 

Con. — This  places  all  men,  by  nature, 
in  a  yery  dreadful  condition — their  whole 
life  being  nothing  but  sin — a  "treasuring 
up  of  wrath  against  the  day  of  wrath" — 
and  no  ability  to  help  themselves. 

Mln. — It  places  them  entirely  dependent 
upon  the  sovereign  grace  and  mercy  of 
their  oftended  God.  And  this,  according 
to  the  Bible,  is  their  true  condition.  Such 
exhibitions  of  the  true  state  of  mankind 
are,  I  know,  offensive  to  unregenerate  men 
generally;  and  many  have  tried  to  find 
out  a  system  of  doctrines  more  palatable 
to  the  popular  mind.  But  all  such  at- 
tempts are  unfaithful  to  God,  and  the  souls 


128  INABILITY. 

of  men.  That  teacher  of  relis^ion  has  but 
a  poor  errand  to  the  sacred  desk  who  at- 
tempts thus  to  ''sew  pillows  under  ithe 
arms"  of  his  hearers,  as  Ezekiel  describes 
the  effeminate  teachers  in  his  day.  It  is 
an  attempt  to  heal  the  hurt  of  the  sinner 
slightly,  and  crying  peace,  where  there  is 
no  peace.  His  lost,  ruined,  and  helpless 
state  needs  to  be  constantly  set  before  him ; 
and  until  he  is  brought  to  feel  it,  he  will 
never  seek  help  where  alone  it  is  to  be 
found. 

Con. — But  as  the  sinner's  inability  con- 
sists in  his  wicked  love  of  sin,  and  un- 
willingness to  love  God,  has  he  not  some 
power  over  his  will,  that  might  be  exer- 
cised in  determining  his  choice  of  God  and 
holiness  ? 

Min. — I  have  already  remarked,  that  the 
will  in  choosing  is  influenced  by  motives, 
and  the  motives  preponderate  according  to 
the  state  of  the  heart,  or  moral  taste.  But, 
perhaps,  it  would  be  useful  for  us  to  look 
at  this  a  little  further,  before  proceeding  to 
the  arguments  drawn  from  the  Bible  re- 
specting man's  inability ;  both  of  which 
we  will  consider  at  any  time  you  may  have 
leisure. 


DIALOGUE  XI. 

FREE   WILL. 

Minister. — The  doctrine  which  we  pro- 
posed to  consider  this  evening,  namely,  the 
powers  of  the  wnll,  is  one  that  involves  a 
great  many  abstruse  questions,  which  it 
would  not,  perhaps,  be  expedient  to  enter 
upon  largely  at  present.  But  I  will  endea- 
vour to  give  you  a  plain,  common  sense 
view  of  it,  if  I  can,  without  any  metaphy- 
sical subtleties. 

Convert. — You  spoke  at  our  last  inter- 
view of  an  inability  of  will ;  but  is  this 
consistent  with  freedom  of  will  ?  Is  not 
the  will  capable  of  acting  freely,  and  of 
choosing  what  it  pleases  ? 

Min. — Certainly;  but  this  is  not  the 
question  at  issue.  It  is  admitted  on  all 
hands  that  the  will  is  free,  and  does  choose 
what  it  pleases.  But  the  question  is, 
whether  the  will  has  power  to  choose  con- 
trary to  what  it  pleases,  or  anything  that 
is  in  direct  opposition  to  what  it  does 
choose.  It  is  admitted  on  all  hands  that 
choice  is  made  according  to  the  highest 

(129) 


130  TREE   WILL. 

pleasure,  or  strongest  inclination ;  and  tlie 
point  to  be  considered  is,  whether  it  has 
power  to  choose,  in  direct  hostility  to  its 
strono^est  inclinations,  and  whether  these 
strongest  inclinations  do  not  always  ope- 
rate in  determining  choice. 

Con. — But  do  not  men  often  choose  that 
which  is  contrary  to  their  desires  and  in- 
clinations ? 

Min. — They  often  choose  what  is  in 
some  respects  disagreeable ;  but  there  is 
always  some  other  motive,  which  at  the 
time'^influences  the  choice,  which  in  other 
circumstances  would  not  be  made.  For 
instance,  a  man  may  and  can  eat  worm- 
wood, but  he  will  not  do  it,  unless  there 
be  some  inducement  presented,  which  in- 
fluences his  choice  in  so  doing,  and  makes 
it,  for  the  time,  his  strongest  inclination. 
But  then  the  question  still  remains, 
while  his  ruling  inclination,  or  pleasure, 
continues  to  choose  as  it  does,  that  which, 
upon  the  whole,  seems  most  desirable,  is 
there  any  faculty  or  power  in  the  will  to 
act  contrary  ? — that  is,  is  there  any  cause 
adequate  to  the  production  of  such  an  ef- 
fect ?  There  can  be  no  effect  without  an 
adequate  cause  ;  and  when  there  is  a  cause 
adequate  to  the  production  of  an  effect, 
there  must  be  some  greater  cause  to  pre- 
vent that  effect,  or  to  produce  its  opposite. 


FREE  WILL.  131 

Kow,  it  is  admitted  on  all  hands,  that  mo- 
tives and  inclinations  are  the  causes  which 
operate,  in  producing  the  acts  of  the  will 
in  choosing  and  refusing;  and  that  the 
will  always  does  act  in  the  way  in  which 
the  strongest  inclinations  lead.  But  it  is 
still  contended  by  the  advocates  of  the  hu- 
man ability  scheme,  that  there  is  in  the 
will  a  power  to  choose  in  opposition  to  its 
strongest  inclination.  But  where  is  their 
proof?  They  admit,  that  though  there  is 
such  a  power,  it  never  acts.  Then  it  is 
admitted,  that  it  is  not  a  cause  adequate  to 
the  production  of  the  eifect.  Why,  then, 
contend  for  it?  Of  what  use  is  it?  It 
produces  no  efiects  in  morals  or  religion. 
It  only  serves  the  purpose  of  some  philo- 
sophizing theologians,  to  bolster  up  their 
system,  which  they  find  cannot  stand  with- 
out it.  But  let  us  look  at  it.  A  man  in 
certain  circumstances,  with  motives  ope- 
rating without,  and  inclinations  within,  is 
induced  to  act  in  a  certain  way.  He 
chooses  that  to  which  his  strongest  incli- 
nations lead  him.  Here  are  cause  and  ef- 
fect. Now,  if  under  the  same  circum- 
stances, and  with  the  same  inclinations, 
his  will  has  a  power  to  choose  the  contra- 
ry of  what  it  does,  he  either  makes  the 
choice,  or  he  does  not.  If  he  makes  the 
contrary  choice,  then  his  will  chooses  con- 


132  FREE  WILL. 

trary  to  what  it  does  choose,  whicli  is  a 
self-contradiction.  If  he  does  not  make 
the  contrary  choice,  then  there  is  no  cause 
adequate  to  the  production  of  the  effect, 
and  the  power  of  the  will  to  choose  con- 
trary to  its  choice  amounts  to  just  nothing 
at  all. 

Con. — But  might  he  not  choose  other- 
wise if  the  will  w^ere  so  inclined? 

Mn. — Certainly ;  but  that  is  not  the 
point.  I  am  endeavouring  to  show  you, 
that  it  always  does  act  as  it  is  inclined ; 
but  the  point  is,  has  it  power  to  choose 
contrary  to  its  choice,  whether  it  be  in- 
clined or  not,  and  in  spite  of  all  opposing 
inclinations?  Scales  will  turn  in  an  op- 
posite direction,  if  there  be  a  prepondera- 
ting weight — a  cause  adequate  to  the  ef- 
fect— but  without  it  they  will  not.  ITo 
more  w^ill  the  will  act  in  opposition  to  its 
strongest  inclinations  and  motives.  The 
cause  in  the  one  case  is  just  as  adequate  to 
the  production  of  the  effect  as  in  the  other. 

Thus,  the  faculty  of  will,  in  good  and 
bad  men,  exerts  their  volitions ;  but  the 
character  of  these  volitions  is  determined 
under  given  motives,  not  by  the  natural 
faculty  itself,  abstractly  considered,  but 
by  the  moral  state  of  the  heart ;  and  if  it 
be  in  a  certain  moral  state,  it  cannot  be  a 
property  of  the  will  to  put  forth  choices 


FREE  WILL.  133 

of  an  opposite  moral  character,  for  it  is  ad- 
mitted that  the  heart  always  rules  the 
choices  of  the  will ;  and  consequently,  you 
perceive,  we  are  brought  back  to  our  for- 
mer conclusion,  that  man  in  his  natural 
state  is  unable  to  love  God,  and  put  forth 
holy  exercises,  because  his  strongest  incli- 
nations and  desires  lead  in  an  opposite  direc- 
tion. He  is  wickedly  unwilling,  and  there- 
fore unable.  He  chooses  sin  deliberately 
and  freely,  and  always  w^ill  until  a  gracious 
change  is  wrought  by  the  Spirit  of  God. 
"  Yerily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  except  a 
man  be  born  again  he  cannot  see  the  king- 
dom of  God." — John  iii.  3. 

Con. — But  when  motives  are  presented, 
and  the  will  chooses  or  refuses,  according 
to  the  moral  state  of  the  inner  man,  with- 
out any  power  in  itself  to  put  forth  choices 
contrary  to  that  moral  state,  is  the  doc- 
trine not  liable  to  objection,  on  the  ground 
that  the  motives  are  often  presented  under 
circumstances  over  which  the  man  has  no 
control ? 

Min. — It  is  true  that  the  motives  are 
furnished  in  the  providence  of  God.  The 
murderer  is  kept  in  life,  in  God's  provi- 
dence, and  is  indebted  to  God  for  strength 
to  kill  his  victim,  and  also  for  the  oppor- 
tunity. Joseph's  brethren  could  not  have 
cast  him  into  the  pit,  or  sold  him,  if  it  had 
12 


134  FREE  WILL. 

not  been  so  arranged  in  the  providence  of 
God  that  he  was  sent  to  them.  In  this 
way  they  were  furnished  with  the  exter- 
nal motive.  And  I  know  the  objection  is 
urged,  that  if  God  furnish  the  motives,  he 
is  in  this  sense  the  author  of  sin.  But  of 
all  the  objections  of  errorists,  this  is  among 
the  most  sill}",  that  because  God  places 
man  in  circumstances,  and  gives  him  op- 
portunities to  do  good,  because  he  chooses 
to  pervert  them  to  evil  purposes,  God  is, 
therefore,  blamable  with  his  sin. 

A  man  makes  a  musical  instrument,  with 
the  design  that  it  may  delight  him  with  its 
sweet,  harmonious  sounds;  and  when  it  is 
made  he  finds  it  "good."  It  answers  the 
purposes  for  which  it  was  designed  per- 
fectly; but  from  some  cause  it  becomes 
damaged,  and  then,  under  the  same  pro- 
cess which  formerly  produced  harmony, 
there  is  now  nothing  but  discord.  Kow, 
it  is  plain,  that  though  he  is  the  author  of 
the  sound,he  is  not  the  author  of  the  discord. 
That  arises  from  the  defect  of  the  instru- 
ment. And  for  certain  reasons  that  may 
operate,  he  ma}"  keep  it  in  order  external- 
ly, and  touch  its  strings,  knowing  that  it 
will  produce  discord,  and  still  not  be  the 
author  of  it.  So  God  keeps  in  order  the 
system  of  the  world,  in  all  its  various  ope- 
rations of  life  and  action ;  and  his  provi- 


FREE   WILL.  135 

dence  with  men  is  all  so  arranged,  that  if 
thej  were  holy,  the  external  motives  he 
presents  would  at  all  times  produce  good 
results.  Had  not  Joseph's  brethren  in- 
dulged a  wicked  hatred  toward  him,  his 
comino^  to  them  would  have  afforded  an 
opportunity  of  doing  good  to  him  and 
their  aged  father.  But  their  wicked  hearts 
pen^erted  it  into  an  occasion  of  evil. 

Con. — But  does  not  this  doctrine  of  in- 
ability tend  to  make  sinners  more  careless  ? 
"Will  they  not  say,  that  as  they  cannot 
change  their  own  hearts,  all  efforts  to  seek 
God,  and  all  striving  after  holiness  are  use- 
less ? 

3Im. — I  believe  it  has  just  the  oppo- 
site tendency.  It  is  because  the  sinner 
does  not  feel  his  lost  and  helpless  condi- 
tion, that  he  remains  careless.  There  is 
not  a  careless  sinner  in  the  world,  who  is 
not  a  full  believer  in  the  doctrine  of  per- 
fect ability.  It  is  his  resolution  to  repent 
and  turn  to  God  at  some  future  time,  that 
keeps  him  easy ;  and  he  feels  perfectly 
competent  to  the  task.  He  has  no  sense 
whatever  of  his  absolute  dependence  upon 
God.  He  believes  that  it  is  something  that 
he  can  attend  to  at  any  time,  and  at  some 
convenient  time  he  wiU  do  it. 

And  just  in  proportion  as  you  strengthen 
that  belief,  you  increase  his  carelessness, 


136  FREE   WILL. 

and  lull  him  to  sleep  on  the  awful  brink 
of  eternal  ruin.  It  is  only  when  he  is 
brought  to  feel  his  entire  helplessness,  and 
dependence  upon  sovereign  grace,  that  he 
will  seek  help  where  it  is  to  be  found. 
Then,  and  not  till  then,  will  he  rejoice  in  the 
truth,  that  his  "help  is  laid  upon  one  who 
is  mighty  to  save."  It  is  the  hiding  of  this 
wholesome  truth  that  has  tended  to  make 
so  many  htful  professors  of  religion,  and 
made  religion  with  many  to  consist  in  a 
kind  of  spasmodic  or  occasional  action. 
They  are  taught,  that  if  they  purpose  to 
serve  God,  that  is  all  the  change  they  need ; 
and  that  this  is  as  easily  done  as  to  raise 
the  hand.  They  may,  and  often  do,  change 
the  outward  purpose ;  but  if  the  heart  be 
not  changed  by  divine  grace,  they  will  be 
sure  to  change  back  again.  "  He  that 
striveth  for  the  mastery,  is  not  crowned, 
unless  he  strive  lawfully."  And  the  only 
lawful  way  for  a  sinner  to  strive,  is  with  a 
feeling  of  dependence  on  God,  and  with  the 
earnest  prayer,  "  Create  in  me  a  clean 
heart,  0  God ;  and  renew  a  right  spirit 
within  me." 

Con. — I  believe  it  is  always  best  for  us 
all  to  know  the  worst  of  our  spiritual  con- 
dition. 

Min. — Let  us  now  look  at  what  the  Bible 
says  on  the  doctrine  of  inability.     And  I 


FREE   WILL.  137 

would  remark,  in  the  first  place,  that  the 
doctrine  is  plainly  taught  in  all  those  pas- 
sages which  speak  of  the  necessity  of  re- 
generation. John  iii.  3 — "  Except  a  man 
be  born  again,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom 
of  God"— and  7—"  Marvel  not  that  I  said 
unto  thee,  ye  must  be  born  again" — w^ith 
many  other  passages,  wdiich  I  need  not 
enumerate. 

Again,  it  is  taught  in  all  those  passages 
which  ascribe  this  w-ork  directly  to  the 
Spirit  of  God.  John  iii.  5 — '^  Except  a 
man  be  born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit,  he 
cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God."  Acts  xvi. 
14 — "  The  Lord  opened  her  heart,  that  she 
attended  to  the  things  which  were  spoken 
of  PauL"  1  Tliess.  i.  5 — "  Our  gospel  came 
not  unto  3'ou  in  w^ord  only,  but  in  powder, 
and  in  the  Holy  Ghost?'  1  Cor.  3,  6, 
and  7 — "  I  have  planted,  Apollos  w^atered, 
but  God  gave  the  increase.  So,  then,  nei- 
ther is  he  that  planteth  anything,  neither 
he  that  w^atereth,  but  God  that  giveth  the 
increase."  Phil.  ii.  13— "  It  is  God  that 
worketh  in  you,  both  to  wall  and  to  do." 
Ezek.  xxxvi.  26  and  27 — "  A  new^  heart  also 
will  I  give  3'ou,  and  a  new  Spirit  will  I  put 
wdthin  you ;  and  I  will  take  away  the  stony 
heart  out  of  your  flesh,  and  I  will  give  you 
a  heart  of  flesh.  And  I  will  put  my  Spirit 
within  you,  and  cause  you  to  walk  in  my 
12  • 


138  FREE   WILL. 

statutes."  John  i.  13 — ''"Wliich  were  born 
not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh, 
nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of  God."  But 
I  need  not  enumerate  further.  The  Bible 
everywhere  ascribes  the  work  of  producing 
holiness  in  the  heart  of  a  sinner,  to  the  di- 
rect agency  of  God.  And  there  is  not  a 
single  word  or  passage  which  ascribes  it  to 
the  sinner  himself. 

Con. — I  do  not  recollect  ever  to  have 
seen  or  heard  it  asserted,  that  any  passage 
of  Scripture  directly  asserts  that  the  sinner 
is  the  a2:ent  in  his  own  chano;e  of  heart: 
but  it  is  inferred  from  the  fact  that  he  is 
commanded  to  do  it. 

Min. — That  argument  is  based  upon  the 
false  assumption,  that  there  is  nothing 
duty,  which  there  is  not  full  ability  to  per- 
form ;  the  absurdity  of  which,  I  think,  I 
clearly  showed  3'ou  in  our  last  conversation. 
But  let  us  look  at  those  passages  of  the 
Bible,  which  assert  the  doctrine  of  ina- 
bility in  plain  and  unequivocal  language. 
John  vi.  44 — "  !N^o  man  can  come  to  me, 
except  the  Father  which  has  sent  me,  draw 
him."  Eph.  ii.  1 — "You  hath  he  quick- 
ened, who  were  dead  in  trespasses  and 
sins."  1  Cor.  ii.  14 — "The  natural  man 
receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of 
God,  for  they  are  foolishness  unto  him ; 
neither  can  he  know  them,  because  they 


FREE   WILL.  139 

are  spiritually  discerned."  Eom.  viii.  7 
— "The  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against 
God:  for  it  is  not  subject  to  the  law  of 
God,  neither  indeed  can  be. ' '  These,  with 
other  passages,  quoted  in  our  former  con- 
versation, "  They  that  are  in  the  flesh,  can- 
not please  God,"  &c.,  present  the  doctrine 
in  language  that  cannot  be  softened  down, 
without  destroying  their  sense  altogether. 


DIALOGUE  XII. 

EFFECTUAL   CALLING. 

Convert. — Since  our  last  conversation,  I 
have  been  reflecting  on  the  views  you  pre- 
sented respecting  human  ability,  and  feel 
constrained  to  believe,  that  man  in  his 
natural  state  is  not  able  of  himself  to 
change  his  own  heart.  Indeed,  it  is  so 
plain  a  truth,  that  I  now  rather  wonder 
that  it  should  be  controverted  by  any  one 
who  has  thoroughly  considered  the  subject. 
I  find  even  the  ^'  Doctrinal  Tracts"  of  the 
Methodist  church,  teach  it  in  plain  lan- 
guage. On  page  134,  it  is  said,  that  "  no 
sinner  can  believe,  but  by  the  almighty 
power  of  God."  But  I  find  it  also  stated 
in  the  same  connection,  that  God  gives  to  all 
men  "  sufiicient  grace' '  to  enable  them  to  be- 
lieve, and  consequently  "their  death  lies 
at  their  own  door."  And,  my  Methodist 
neighbour  contends,  that  if  this  were  not 
done,  God  could  not  be  sincere  in  offering 
salvation  to  all  men. 

Minister. — That  is  the  most  common  doc- 
trine of  those  who  reject  the  doctrines  of 
(140) 


EFFECTUAL  CALLINa.  141 

grace,  respecting  regeueration,  effectual 
calling  &c. :  and,  you  might  have  observed, 
that  the  "Doctrinal  Tracts,"  in  the  same 
connection,  teach  that  this  is  necessary, 
not  only  ''  to  maintain  the  sincerity  of 
God,"  but  also  "  to  vindicate  his  equity  at 
the  great  day,  in  condemning  the  impeni- 
tent." I  am  at  a  loss  to  know,  how  any 
amount  of  grace  short  of  regeneration,  can 
be  called  -'sufficient."  If  it  does  not 
change  the  sinner's  moral  tastes  and  incli- 
nations, it  is  not  sufficient  to  enable  him 
to  believe  and  repent.  How  can  he  repent 
of  sin,  when  he  still  loves  it  ?  There  never 
was,  and  never  will  be,  a  single  instance 
of  a  true  penitent,  whose  heart  is  un- 
changed. I  need  not  stay  to  prove,  that 
God  does  not  give  "  sufficient  grace 
to  all  men,"  in  this  sense.  The  outward 
calls  of  the  gospel  are  gracious,  but  no  one 
except  those  who  deny  the  operations  of 
the  Spirit  altogether,  will  contend  that 
this  is  "sufficient."  The  movements  of 
the  Spirit,  which  many  experience  in  con- 
viction, are  gracious,  but  all  admit  that 
these  are  not  "sufficient."  What  could  we 
think  of  a  teacher  of  religion,  who  would 
tell  a  sinner  under  conviction,  that  he  had 
grace  enough,  and  need  not  look  for  more ! 
And,  the  fact  of  telling  him  to  pray  for 
more,  and  of  praying  for  such  an  one  that 


142  EFFECTUAL   CALLING. 

he  might  Lave  more  given  him,  is  sufficient 
proof  that  it  is  not  deemed  "  sufficient." 
If  this  he  what  is  meant  by  "  sufficient 
grace,"  it  is  calling  that  sufficient  which 
is  not  sufficient ;  and,  if  they  mean  any 
other  kind  of  grace,  I  know  not  what  kind 
it  is. 

Con. — ^It  seems  to  me  contrary  to  all 
Christian  experience,  to  maintain  that  any 
kind  or  degree  of  grace,  is  sufficient  to  lead 
a  sinner  to  Christ,  short  of  that  which 
changes  his  heart,  and  gives  him  new  views 
and  feelings. 

Min. — But  you  have  not  yet  seen  the 
worst  feature  of  this  doctrine  of  "  sufficient 
grace  to  all  men."  It  is  based  upon  the 
assumption,  that  without  bestowing  this 
grace,  God  could  not  be  sincere  in  offering 
salvation,  or  just  in  condemning  unbe- 
lievers. Then  he  was  bound  to  save  all 
the  human  family  ^\athout  an  atonement. 
For,  if  it  would  be  unjust  in  him  to  con- 
demn them,  it  would  be  just  to  save  them, 
and  whatever  is  strict  justice,  he  is  bound 
by  every  perfection  of  his  nature  to  do. 
Then,  without  the  atonement,  and  this 
"  sufficient  2:race,"  all  men  would  be  saved. 
But  God  has  provided  a  Saviour,  and  gives 
this  "  sufficient  grace,"  to  make  itconsistent 
with  his  justice  to  condemn  some,  who  do 
not  believe.     This  not  only  makes  God  the 


EFFECTUAL   CALLING.  143 

author  of  sin,  but  it  makes  liim  the  author 
of  the  eternal  death  of  every  impenitent 
sinner.  I  do  not  suppose,  that  the  abettors 
of  the  doctrine  intend  to  teach  a  sentiment 
so  grossly  blasphemous,  but  the  conclusion 
is  legitimate  and  necessary.  If  what  they 
teach  be  true,  this  must  be  true  likewise. 

The  same  doctrine  is  tauo^ht  in  different 
language  on  page  154,  of  the  "  Doctrinal 
Tracts."  "  The  moment  Adam  fell,  he  had 
no  freedom  of  will  left ;  but  God,  when  of 
his  own  free  grace  he  gave  the  promise  of 
a  Saviour,  to  him  and  his  posterity,  gra- 
ciously restored  to  mankind  a  liberty  and 
power  to  accept  of  proffered  salvation." 
Kow^,  if  there  were  no  freedom  of  will 
there  could  be  no  accountability.  It  is  a 
plain  dictate  of  common  sense,  that  a  man 
is  not  accountable  for  anvthinffhe  does  not 
do  willino-lv  and  freelv.  Then,  where 
there  is  no  freedom  of  will,  there  can  be 
no  sin.  But  God  gave  them  a  freedom  of 
will  to  capacitate  them  to  sin.  Hence,  all 
mankind  are  sinners  by  the  grace  of  God  ! 
But  I  need  not  follow  further  the  absurdi- 
ties of  such  doctrines.  TXiay  are  all  only 
miserable  shifts  to  get  clear  of  the  doc- 
trines of  grace,  and  to  tix  up  some  scheme 
that  will  lead  the  helpless  sinner  away  from 
his  entire  dependence  on  the  free,  unmer- 
ited, sovereign  grace  of  God. 


144  EFFECTUAL   CALLING. 

Con. — ^But,  is  this  clearly  reconcilable 
with  the  commands  and  exhortations  of 
the  Bible  to  come  to  Christ,  which  I  have 
heard  Presbyterian  ministers  urge  as  stren- 
uously upon  sinners,  as  any  other  class  of 
preachers  ? 

Min. — It  is  the  duty  of  the  sinner  to 
strive;  and,  to  those  who  do  so,  God  has 
given  gracious  promises.  But,  they 
should  always  be  taught  to  strive  mth  a 
feeling  of  dependence,  and  earnest  look- 
ing to  God  for  grace.  This  is  the  course 
marked  out  in  the  word  of  God:  "  Work 
out  your  own  salvation  with  fear  and 
trembling,  for  it  is  God  that  worketh  in 
you  both  to  will  and  to  do  of  his  good 
pleasure."  You  perceive,  that  the  apostle, 
instead  of  making  the  dependence  of  the 
sinner  an  excuse  for  doing  nothing,  makes 
it  the  ground  of  his  encouragement  to 
work.  There  is  no  language  in  our  Con- 
fession of  Faith  more  forcible  or  compre- 
hensive than  this.  God  works  in  us 
*'both  to  will  and  to  do  ;"  and,  thereupon, 
the  apostle  bases  his  exliortation  to  '^  work 
out  our  salvation."  And,  "what  God 
hath  joined  together,  let  no  man  put  asun- 
der." Let  these  things  always  be  kept  in 
mind,  and  followed  out,  and  there  is  no 
danger  of  mistake  in  going  too  far  on 
either  hand.     Xo  one  can  err  in  striving 


EFFECTUAL   CALLING.  14S 

too  earnestly  for  salvation,  if  it  be  done  in 
the  right  way.  ISTo  more  can  any  one  err, 
at  the  same  time,  in  casting  himself  upon 
God,  with  too  much  dependence  and 
earnest  prayer  for  grace.  Hence,  boasting 
is  excluded  by  the  law  of  faith ;  and  every 
true  Christian  is  prepared  to  say,  "By 
the  grace  of  God  I  am  what  I  am."  This, 
however,  could  not  be  the  case,  if  any  part 
of  the  work  of  regeneration  were  his  own. 
"Who  maketh  thee  to  differ?"  is  the  em- 
phatic inquiry  of  the  apostle  on  this  sub- 
ject; and,  let  any  one  who  thinks  he  has 
had  any  part  in  his  own  regeneration,  an- 
swer the  question  if  he  can,  in  accordance 
with  the  language  of  the  Bible. 

You  can  now  see  the  truth  of  the  lan- 
guage of  our  catechism,  when  it  says, 
"  We  are  made  partakers  of  the  redemp- 
tion purchased  by  Christ,  by  the  effectual 
application  of  it  to  us  by  his  Holy  Spirit." 
And  further,  "The  Spirit  applieth  to  us 
the  redemption  purchased  by  Christ,  by 
working  faith  in  us,  and  thereby  uniting 
us  to  Christ,  in  our  effectual  calling." 
And,  again,  "  Effectual  calling  is  the  work 
of  Gods  Spirit,  whereby  convincing  us  of 
our  sin  and  miser}^,  enlightening  our 
minds  in  the  knowledge  of  Christ,  and  re- 
newing our  wills,  he  doth  persuade  and 
enable  us  to  embrace  Jesus  Christ,  freely 


146  EFFECTUAL  CALLING. 

offered  to  us  in  the  Gospel."     Shorter  Ca- 
techism— answer  to  questions  29,  30,  31. 
This  language  any  one  may  compare  with 
Scripture.      Rom.   viii.   30 — "  Whom   he 
did  predestinate,  them  he  also  called,  and 
whom  he  called,  them  he  also  justified." 
2  Thess.  ii.  13—"  God  hath  from  the  be- 
ginning chosen  you  to  salvation,  through 
sanctification  of  the   Spirit  and  belief  of 
the  truth."     2   Cor.  iii.   3—'^  The  epistle 
of  Christ  ministered  by  us,   written,  not 
with  ink,  but  with  the  Spirit  of  the  living 
God,  not  in  tables  of  stone,  but  in  fleshly 
tables  of  the  heart."     2  Tim.  i.  9— ""Wnbo 
hath  saved  us,  and  called  us  with  an  holy 
calling,  not  according  to  our  works,  but 
according  to  his  own  purpose  and  grace." 
Ezek.  xxxvi.  26 — "  A  new  heart  also  will 
I  give  you,  and  a  new  spirit  will  I  put 
within  you,"  &c.     Ezek.   xi.  19— '^  I  will 
give  them  one  heart,  and  I  will  put  a  new 
spirit    within   you."     Psa.    ex.    3 — "Thy 
people   shall  be  willing  in  the  day  of  thy 
power."     Eph.  ii.  1 — "  You  hath  he  quick- 
ened  who   were   dead   in   trespasses  and 
sins."     Verse   5 — "Even  when  we  were 
dead  in  sins,  hath  quickened  us  together 
with    Christ,  (by   grace    ye   are   saved.)" 
Verse  8 — "By  gmce  are  ye  saved  through 
faith,  and.  that  not  of  yourselves,  it  is  the 
gift  of  God."     But,  I  need  not  enumerate 


EFFECTUAL   CALLING.  147 

further,  though,  it  would  be  easy  to  find 
hundreds  of  texts  which  teach  the  same 
truth.  The  Bible,  jou  perceive,  teaches 
abundantly  the  doctrine  of  "sufficient 
grace,"  but  it  is  in  a  sense  very  difterent 
from  that  taught  in  the  "Doctrinal  Tracts." 
The  sufiicient  grace  of  the  Bible  is  that 
which  finds  man  "dead  in  trespasses  and 
sins,  calls  him  with  a  holy  calling,  gives 
him  a  new  heart,  makes  him  willing, 
quickens  him  unto  life,  and  leads  him  to 
Christ" — or,  as  our  Catechism  expresses 
it,  "persuades  and  enables  him  to  em- 
brace Jesus  Christ."  It  is  in  this  sense 
that  "faith  is  the  gift  of  God;"  and,  in- 
deed, this  is  the  only  conceivable  sense  in 
which  it  can  be. 

Con. — But  does  not  the  doctrine  of 
"sufiicient  grace  to  all  men,"  meet,  in  the 
most  satisfactory  manner,  the  objection, 
that  God  is  partial  in  giving  more  grace 
to  some  than  to  others  ? 

Min. — Even  if  it  did,  we  are  not  bound  to 
adopt  it,  when  it  is  so  plainly  contradicted 
by  the  Bible.  I  believe,  however,  that 
this  is  the  ground  upon  which  it  is  based. 
Men  are  unwilling  to  allow  God  his  sove- 
reignty, either  in  providence  or  mercy. 
And  when  the  Bible  tells  us  he  distin- 
guishes in  his  dealings  with  man,  they  re- 
ject the  doctrine,  and  call  it  partiality  in 


148  EFFECTUAL   CALLING. 

God  to  give  any  thing  more  to  one  than  to 
another;  and  leaving  the  plain  doctrine 
of  revelation,  endeavour  to  patch  np  a 
scheme  of  their  own,  which  they  hoast  of 
as  vindicating  the  character  of  God,  when, 
in  fact,  it  robs  him  of  his  sovereignty. 
But  still  their  scheme,  instead  of  reliev- 
ing, increases  the  difficulty. 

Con. — How  does  it  increase  the  difficul- 
ty? K  God  gives  to  all  men  the  same 
amount  of  grace,  there  surely  can  be  no 
charge  of  partiality. 

Min. — There  would  still  be  the  same 
ground  for  the  charge,  unless  he  would  go 
further,  and  place  all  men  precisely  in  the 
same  circumstances,  and  give  them  pre- 
cisely the  same  dispositions,  that,  accord- 
ing to  this  scheme,  all  might  have  precise- 
ly the  same  opportunities  of  improving 
their  equal  amount  of  grace.  Similar 
causes  operating  in  similar  circumstances, 
must  invariably  produce  similar  effects. 
The  amount  of  grace  that  is  "  sufficient" 
to  lead  one  man  to  the  Saviour,  will  in- 
variably lead  another  of  the  same  disposi- 
tion, placed  in  similar  circumstances.  And 
if  all  men  possessed  the  same  dispositions, 
and  were  in  the  same  circumstances,  what 
is  sufficient  for  one  would  be  for  another, 
and  all  would  be  saved.  But  all  are  not 
in  the  same  circumstances,  and  have  not 


EFFECTUAL   CALLING.  149 

the  same  opportunities.  Some  are  born 
of  Christian  parents,  whose  instructions 
and  prayers  are  blessed  to  their  conver- 
sion. Others  are  taught  from  their  infan- 
cy to  disobey  God  and  contemn  religion. 
Some  never  hear  of  a  Saviour,  or  of  the 
true  God.  IS'ow,  over  these  circumstan- 
ces, they  themselves  have  no  control ;  and 
those  who  accuse  God  of  partiality  because 
he  discriminates  in  grace,  and  contend 
that  it  would  be  injustice  to  bestow  more 
upon  one  man  than  another,  are  bound  to 
explain,  upon  the  same  principles,  the 
facts  of  his  providence,  by  which  he  or- 
ders the  lots  of  men  in  the  world.  But 
here  they  will  find  an  insuperable  difficul- 
ty, because  they  cannot  deny  the  fact,  that 
some  are  placed  in  circumstances  better 
calculated  to  result  in  their  salvation,  than 
others. 

How  much  more  consistent  with  com- 
mon sense,  and  with  the  disposition  we 
ought  to  exercise  toward  God  and  his 
word,  to  take  the  simple  language  of  the 
Bible,  that  *'  he  has  mercy  on  whom  he 
will  have  mercy,"  and  will  have  trophies 
of  his  grace  out  of  all  nations  and  classes 
of  men.  And  whenever  any  one  turns 
aside  from  the  truth  of  the  Bible,  to  recon- 
cile what,  in  the  pride  of  opinion,  he  con- 
ceives to  be  difficulties,  he  will  only  find 
13* 


150  EFFECTUAL   CALLINa. 

himself  surrounded  with  difficulties   still 
more  perplexing  and  insuperable. 

Con. — It  seems  to  me  a  fact  that  cannot 
be  disputed,  that  God  distinguishes  both 
in  his  providence  and  grace,  and  the  ob- 
jection of  partiality,  I  perceive,  amounts 
to  a  denial  of  his  sovereign  right  to  do  as 
he  pleases,  which  the  Bible  everywhere 
ascribes  to  him,  and  which  it  must  be  im- 
pious to  controvert,  either  directly  or  in- 
directly. 

But  there  is  another  point  upon  which  I 
wish  to  have  your  views,  about  which  I  have 
felt  some  difficulty ;  I  mean  the  doctrine 
of  perfect  sanctification  in  this  life.  I  feel 
that  I  am  very  far  from  what  I  should  be, 
and  my  desire  is  to  get  clear  of  all  sin. 
We  are  commanded  in  the  Bible  to  "be 
perfect;"  and  yet  I  know  your  church 
holds  that  absolute  perfection  is  not  attain- 
able in  this  life.  I  feel  that  it  is  a  ques- 
tion of  great  practical  importance,  and 
would  like  to  have  all  the  information  I  can 
derive  from  every  source. 

Min. — Call   at   any  time  you  find  con- 
venient, and  I  will  endeavour  to  give  you 
a  plain,  scriptural  view  of  it,  both  as  it  re-, 
spects  our  duty  and  privilege. 


DIALOGUE  XIII. 


SINLESS   PERFECTION. 


Minister. — The  doctrine  we  proposed  to 
examine  this  evening,  viz :  Whether  any 
one  in  this  life  ever  attains  to  absolute  sin- 
less perfection,  is  thus  plainly  expressed  in 
our  Confession  of  Faith:  "STo  mere  man, 
since  the  fall,  is  able  in  this  life  iievfectlj 
to  keep  the  commandments  of  God,  but 
doth  daily  break  them,  in  thought,  word, 
and  deed." — Shorter  Catechism,  Ans.  to 
Qu.  82.  I  need  not  stay  to  prove,  that 
"the  commandments  of  God"  are  our 
standard  of  holiness,  and  anything  that 
conies  short  of  a  perfect  fulfilment  of  all 
their  requirements,  in  all  respects,  is  not 
perfect  obedience.  And  we  not  only  sin 
in  every  positive  violation  of  the  law,  but 
also  in  every  want  of  perfect  conformity  to 
all  its  holy  requirements.  Gal.  iii.  10 — 
*'  Cursed  is  every  one  that  continueth  not 
in  all  things  which  are  written  in  the  book 
of  the  law  to  do  them."  It  is  a  plain  dic- 
tate of  common  sense,  as  well  as  of  the  Bi- 
ble, that  in  failing  to  do,  or  to  be,  what 
God  requires,  is  sinful,  as  well  as  doing, 

(151) 


152  SINLESS   PERFECTION. 

or  being,  what  he  forbids.  Hence,  our 
Catechism  says — "  Sin  is  any  want  of  con- 
formity unto,  or  transgression  of,  the  law 
of  God."— Shorter  Cat.  Ans.  to  Qu.  14. 

Convert. — Are  we  then  to  account  all  our 
infirmities  sinful ;  and  all  our  consequent 
mistakes  and  aberrations,  whether  volun- 
tary or  involuntary  ? 

Min. — Evervthins:  that  is  not  in  strict 
accordance  with  God's  requirements  must 
be  sin.  He  requires  nothing  but  holiness, 
and  whatever  he  requires,  it  is  our  duty 
to  give.  I  know  it  is  said  by  the  advo- 
cates of  the  doctrine  of  perfection,  that  our 
infirmities  and  mistakes  are  not  sinful ; 
and  yet,  they  contradict  themselves  by 
saying,  that  "  every  such  mistake,  were  it 
not  for  the  blood  of  atonement,  would  ex- 
pose us  to  eternal  damnation." — ''Doctri- 
nal Tracts,"  p.  311.  That  is,  God  would 
be  just  in  sending  us  to  hell  for  ever,  for 
that  which  is  not  sin  !  A  sentiment  more 
derogatory  to  God  can  scarcely  be  ima- 
gined. It  is  only  another  attempt  to  de- 
grade the  law  of  God — to  take  from  it  its 
strictness  and  spirituality,  and  bring  it 
down  to  the  low  and  common  views  enter- 
tained of  it  by  men  of  the  world.  It  is  too 
generally  lost  sight  of  in  the  world,  that 
the  law  of  God,  in  its  holy  requirements, 
extends  to  the  feelings  of  the  heart,  the 


SINLESS   PERFECTION.  153 

thoughts,  and  exercises  of  the  inner  man  ; 
and  errorists  almost  uniformly  fall  in  with 
the  feelings  of  the  world,  and  make  the  law 
of  God  a  matter  of  such  small  moment, 
that  perfect  obedience  is  comparatively 
easy.  But  the  Bible  speaks  in  different 
language.  What  it  mainly  insists  upon, 
is  right  feelings  and  dispositions ;  and  it 
chiefly  condemns  feelings  and  dispositions 
that  are  wrong,  because  from  these  pro- 
ceed all  the  outward  conduct.  ^'Out  of 
the  heart,"  says  Christ,  "proceed  evil 
thoughts,  adulteries,  murders,"  &c.  And 
Solomon  says,  "  Keep  thy  heart  with  all  dili- 
gence, for  out  of  it  are  the  issues  of  life." 
Love  is  a  feeling,  repentance  is  a  feeling, 
faith  is  an  inward  exercise  of  the  soul,  hu- 
mility is  a  feeling,  hope,  patience,  resigna- 
tion, charity,  meekness,  kindness,  content- 
ment, &c.,  are  all  feelings.  Yet  who  that 
reads  the  Bible  carefully,  does  not  perceive 
that  all  these  are  required  as  indispensable 
duties  ?  And  on  the  other  hand,  enmity  to 
God  is  a  feeling,  unbelief  is  a  feeling,  sel- 
fishness, pride,  impenitence,  love  of  the 
world,  covetousness,  envy,  anger,  hatred, 
revenge,  &c.,  are  all  feelings,  and  all  are 
forbidden  as  the  worst  of  sins.  Hence,  it 
is  evident,  that  to  form  anything  like  a 
proper  estimate  of  our  character  in  the 
sight  of  God  and  his  law,  we  must  first 


154  SINLESS   PERFECTION. 

and  chiefly  have  respect  to  the  feelings  and 
dispositions  of  the  heart.  And  before  we 
can  be  perfect,  we  must  in  all  these  re- 
spects, be  absolutely  and  entirely  free  from 
the  least  failure,  and  exercise  all  those  feel- 
ings as  purely  as  the  angels  in  heaven. 

Con. — In  that  case,  I  do  not  believe  that 
any  one,  who  has  a  proper  view  of  himself, 
will  ever  claim  to  be  perfect. 

J\Jin. — It  is,  I  believe,  generally  claimed 
on  the  ground  of  perfect  love.  They  claim 
to  have  perfect  love;  and,  as  the  apostle 
says,  "love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law," 
therefore,  they  are  perfect.  But  any  one 
who  thinks  he  has  as  much  love  as  he 
ought  to  have,  has  very  grovelling  ideas  of 
his  obligations  to  God,  or  very  superficial 
views  of  himself  But  there  are  other 
classes  of  sins,  which  are  rather  consequent 
upon  those  of  the  heart  and  feelings,  of 
which  we  must  take  account  in  forming  a 
proper  estimate  of  our  character  in  the 
sight  of  God  and  his  law.  The  Bible  says, 
that  vain,  trifling,  and  foolish  thoughts  are 
sinful.  Christ  classes  "  evil  thoughts" 
with  "  thefts,  murder,  adultery,"  &c.  "  The 
wicked"  is  not  only  commanded  to  "for- 
sake his  ways,"  but  also  "  the  unrighteous 
man  his  thoughts."  Again,  we  are  told, 
that  "the  thoughts  of  the  wicked  are  an 
abomination  unto  the  Lord,"  &c.      And 


SINLESS   PERFECTION.  155 

God  says,  in  another  place — '^Hear,  O 
earth,  I  will  bring  evil  upon  this  people, 
even  the  fruit  of  their  thoughts."  Indeed, 
the  character  of  the  man  seems  to  be  in 
some  measure  determined  by  his  thoughts. 
"For  as  a  man  thinketh  in  his  heart,  so  is 
he."  These  passages,  with  many  others 
that  might  be  quoted,  prove  very  clearly, 
that  much  sin  is  committed  in  thought. 
And  if  vain  and  foolish  thouo:hts  are  sin- 
ful,  we  may  not  only  ask,  who  is  perfect  ? — 
but,  who  can  enumerate  the  sins  of  a  sin- 
gle day  ?  We  should  remember,  too,  that 
thoughts  are  the  language  of  spirits,  and 
each  one  has  a  tongue  in  the  ear  of  God. 
Christ  answered  the  thoughts  of  those 
around  him,  as  if  they  had  spoken.  It  is 
no  wonder  that  God  says,  "  every  imagina- 
tion of  the  thoughts  of  man's  heart,  is  evil 
continually."  But  this  is  not  all,  yet.  We 
must  also  take  into  the  account,  the  sins 
of  our  tongues.  And  here  I  need  not 
speak  of  falsehood,  slander,  profanity,  &c. 
These,  all  know  and  admit  to  be  sins.  But 
Christ  says,  that  "  every  idle  word,  which 
men  shall  speak,  they  shall  give  account 
thereof  in  the  day  of  judgment."  Mere 
idle  words,  then,  are  sins,  and 

Con. — But  what  are  idle  words  ? 

jM{7i. — All  that  are  not  necessary,  and 
that  do  not  tend  to  produce  some  good  re- 


156  SINLESS   PERFECTION. 

suit.  The  commands  of  the  Bible  are, 
''  Let  no  corrupt  communication  proceed 
out  of  jour  mouth,  hut  that  which  is  good, 
to  the  use  of  edif^dng  ;"  *'  let  your  speech 
be  always  with  grace,  that  it  may  minister 
grace  to  the  hearers ;"  "  nor  foolish  talking,;*^ 
nor  jesting,  which  are  not  convenient,  but 
rather  giving  of  thanks."  These  rules 
may  be  thought  too  strict,  by  the  advocates 
of  perfection,  but  they  are  the  rules  which 
God  lays  down  in  his  word,  by  which  we 
are  to  order  our  conversation.  Every  word 
which  does  not  comport  with  these  rules, 
is  an  "  idle  word,"  and  sinful  in  the  sight 
of  God.  Then,  where  is  the  man  who  will 
stand  up  before  God  and  say,  that  in  this 
respect  alone,  he  is  free  from  sin  ? 

But  still  more  :  When  we  take  into  the 
account  our  actions  in  general,  the  moun- 
tain rises  still  higher.  Here  I  need  not  go 
further  than  to  speak  of  our  sins  of  omis- 
sion. The  command  is,  "  Withhold  not 
good  from  him  to  whom  it  is  due,  when  it 
is  in  the  power  of  thine  hand  to  do  it,  for 
to  him  that  knoweth  to  do  good  and  doeth 
it  not,  to  him  it  is  sin."  From  this  it  is 
plain,  that  whenever  we  have  an  opportu- 
nity of  doing  good,  either  to  the  souls  or 
bodies  of  others,  and  neglect  to  improve  it, 
we  sin  both  against  our  fellow-men  and 
against  God.     But  further  :  God  tells  us, 


SINLESS   PERFECTION.  157 

"  Wlietlier  ye  eat  or  drink,  or  whatsoever 
ye  do,  do  all  to  the  glory  of  God."  This 
applies  to  all  our  words  and  actions,  and 
proves  beyond  controversy,  that  every 
word  we  speak,  and  every  action  we  per- 
form, which  is  not  done  with  a  view  to 
promote  the  glory  of  God,  is  sinful.  Of 
how  many  sins,  then,  are  we  guilty  ? 
And  where  is  the  perfect  man,  in  this 
respect  ?  Again :  we  are  commanded 
to  "pray  without  ceasing,"  to  "rejoice 
in  the  Lord  always,"  &c.  Every  mo- 
ment that  we  have  not  a  holy,  prayerful 
frame  of  mind,  we  sin.  It  is  admitted 
on  all  hands,  that  it  is  a  sin  to  swear  pro- 
fanely ;  but  few  reflect  that  it  is  also  a  sin 
not  to  pray,  whenever  it  is  our  duty  or 
privilege.  But  I  need  not  enlarge,  though 
much  more  might  be  said  in  contrasting 
the  obedience  of  the  best  men,  with  the 
high  and  holy  requirements  of  the  law  of 
God.  Enough  has  been  said,  however,  to 
show  you  the  truth  of  the  language  of  our 
Confession,  that  "we  daily  break  the  com- 
mandments of  God  in  thought,  word,  and 
deed." 

Con. — As  it  respects  the  simple  fact,  that 
all  men  are  sinners,  and  that,  in  this  life, 
no  one  ever  attains  to  such  a  degree  of  per- 
fection in  holiness  as  to  be  entirely  tree 
from  sin,  I  think  it  cannot  be  controverted, 
11 


158  SINLESS  PERFECTION. 

if  we  allow  the  law  of  God,  in  all  its  holy 
requirements,  to  be  our  standard.  Indeed, 
I  have  never  had  much  difficulty  in  my 
mind  as  to  the  fact,  that  all  come  far  short 
of  perfect  holiness  in  this  respect.  But 
how  are  we  to  understand  the  commands 
of  God  requiring  this  perfection,  if  it  be 
not  attainable? 

Min. — The  fact  that  it  is  unattained,  and 
unattainable,  does  not  arise  from  God,  but 
from  ourselves,  and  therefore  it  is  no  less 
our  duty,  and  it  should  be  the  constant 
aim  of  every  Christian.  Indeed,  no  true 
Christian  can  rest  satisfied  with  himself, 
while  he  feels  any  remaining  corruption, 
and  consequently  the  warfare  is  still  con- 
tinued ;  and,  as  the  Bible  expresses  it,  he 
goes  on  "from  strength  to  strength."  His 
standard  of  holiness  is  God  himself,  of 
whose  character  the  law  is  a  transcript. 
"With  the  command  before  him,  "Be  ye 
holy,  for  I  the  Lord  your  God  am  holy," 
he  finds  no  place  to  stop  short  of  this,  un- 
til, like  the  angels  in  heaven,  he  reflects 
fully  and  perfectly  the  image  of  his  Maker. 

Con. — But  are  there  not  some  passages 
of  Scripture,  which  favour  the  idea  that 
some  are  perfect,  or  that  perfection  has 
been  attained  in  this  life  by  some  ? 

Min. — We  are  told  to  "  mark  the  perfect 
man,  and  behold  the  upright,  for  the  end 
of  that  man  is  peace."     Paujsays,  "Let  us 


SINLESS  PERFECTION.  159 

therefore,  as  many  as  be  perfect,  be  thus 
minded,"  &c.  "Be  perfect,  be  of  good 
comfort,"&c.  IS'oah,  we  are  told,  "was  a 
just  man  and  perfect,"  &c.  But  it  is  plain, 
from  the  connection  in  which  the  word  is 
used  in  other  places,  that  it  does  not  mean 
an  entire  freedom  from  all  sin.  The  pri- 
mary signification  of  the  original  word, 
which  Paul  uses  in  his  exhortation  to  the 
Corinthians,  "be  perfect,"  is  collecting  to- 
gether the  disjointed  or  broken  parts  of  a 
body  or  system,  so  as  to  make  it  uniform 
or  complete,  and  that  no  part  be  wanting, 
and  there  is  such  a  thing  attainable,  and 
often  attained,  as  perfection,  in  this  sense  : 
that  is,  a  perfect  gospel  character.  For  in- 
stance, if  a  professor  of  religion  be  in  the 
habit  of  prevarication,  or  if  he  be  covetous 
or  niggardly  in  his  dealings,  or  in  any  way 
exhibits  to  the  world  traits  of  character  in- 
consistent with  his  profession,  they  are 
blots  in  his  Christian  character  which  cast 
a  shade  over  the  whole,  and  excite  doubts 
as  to  the  reality  of  his  piety.  In  this  re- 
spect, every  Christian  should  and  can  be 
perfect :  that  is,  he  should  exhibit  the  Chris- 
tian character  complete  in  all  its  parts. 
But  to  love  God  as  much  as  we  should,  to 
exercise  constant  faith,  in  all  the  strength 
and  unwavering  confidence  that  he  re- 
quires, to  have  hope,  repentance,  humiUty, 


160  SINLESS  PERFECTION. 

and  all  the  Christian  graces  and  virtues  in 
constant  perfect  operation,  and  to  be  en- 
tirely free  from  sin  in  the  sight  of  God,  is 
a  very  different  matter.  The  Saviour  evi- 
dently uses  the  term  "perfect"  in  the  for- 
mer sense,  when  speaking  to  the  young  ru- 
ler— "  If  thou  wilt  be  perfect,  go  sell  all  that 
thou  hast,"  &c.  Surely  he  did  not  mean, 
that  thereby  he  would  be  free  from  all  sin. 
Perfection,  then,  in  the  Bible  sense,  means 
integrity,  sincerity  in  our  profession,  un- 
feigned love  to  God,  and  respect  to  all  his 
commands.  But  as  our  time  will  not  per- 
mit us  to  enter  fully  into  the  Bible  argu- 
ments on  this  subject,  we  w-ill  defer  it  to 
our  next  interview. 


DIALOGUE  Xiy. 

SINLESS   PERFECTION. 

Convert — Your  views  of  the  sinfulness 
of  all  men  in  the  sight  of  God,  presented 
at  our  last  interview,  cannot,  I  think,  be 
objected  to,  except  on  the  ground  that  it  is 
discouraging  to  the  Christian  to  know  that 
his  desires  cannot  be  accomplished,  until 
he  ends  his  earthly  career.  It  must  be  the 
most  earnest  desire  of  every  true  Christian 
to  be  free  from  all  sin ;  and  will  it  not 
have  a  tendency  to  paralyze  his  efforts  to 
grow  in  grace,  to  know  that  his  whole  life 
is  to  be  spent  in  endeavours  to  attain  to 
that  state  of  perfection  which  none  ever 
find? 

Minister. — I  believe  it  has  just  the  oppo- 
site tendency,  judging  both  from  the  Bible 
and  all  Christian  experience.  Would  it  be 
discouraging  to  a  man  on  a  journey,  to 
know  that  the  object  he  had  in  view  was 
to  be  obtained  only  at  the  end  of  it  ?  It 
would  tend  to  encourage  him  all  the  way, 
to  know  certainly  that  he  would  finish  his 
journey,  and  there,  and  there  only  he 
u»  (161) 


162  SINLESS  PERFECTION. 

would  obtain  the  object  he  had  in  view. 
The  way  might  be  long  and  the  journey 
difficult,  but  the  certain  prospect  of  gain- 
ing the  desired  object  would  still  cheer 
him  in  his  toil.  So  Paul  expresses  his  ex- 
perience, Phil.  iii.  13,  14— -"  Forgetting 
those  things  which  are  behind,  and  reach- 
ing forth  unto  those  things  which  are  be- 
fore, I  press  toward  the  mark,  for  the  prize 
of  the  hio;h  callino^  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus." 
This  is  very  far  from  the  language  of  a 
Perfectionist.  He  counted  all  his  former 
good  works  and  attainments  in  sanctifica- 
tion  only  worthy  of  being  forgotten,  in 
comparison  with  those  that  were  yet  before 
him.  But  how  eagerly  he  presses  forward, 
knowing  that  the  prize  was  yet  before  him, 
encouraged  with  the  hope  which  animates 
every  Christian,  that  perfect  meetness  for 
heaven,  and  release  from  the  world,  will  be 
found  in  immediate  connection. 

It  is,  moreover,  the  desire  of  every  Chris- 
tian to  grow  in  grace,  and  while  he  finds 
himself  advancino;  in  holiness,  and  o:rowino: 
in  conformity  to  the  image  of  God,  he  finds 
in  this  his  greatest  encouragement  to  press 
on  still  toward  the  high  and  glorious  prize 
that  is  before  him,  perfect  holiness  and 
perfect  happiness  in  heaven.  Perfect  hap- 
piness must  always  be  an  immediate  con- 
sequence  of  perfect  holiness;    and   how 


SINLESS   PERFECTION.  163 

could  Paul  say  he  was  pressing  on  to  ob- 
tain the  prize,  if  he  had  already  obtained 
it  ?  In  this  way,  the  doctrine  of  perfection 
is  destructive  of  growth  in  grace.  A  low 
standard  is  set  up  as  the  mark  of  Christian 
attainment ;  and  when  any  one  entertains 
so  good  an  opinion  of  himself  as  to  think 
he  has  arrived  at  it,  all  further  advance- 
ment is  at  an  end.  Such  an  one  must  con- 
clude that  he  has  attained  to  that  which 
the  apostle,  in  his  burning  zeal,  felt  him- 
self wanting.  And  I  can  only  say,  that  I 
think  a  person  who  sets  up  this  claim,  has 
yet  room  to  make  considerable  advance- 
ment in  the  grace  of  humility. 

Con. — It  has  always  struck  me  unfavour- 
ably, to  hear  any  one  claiming  to  be  per- 
fect ;  but  knowing  that  the  grace  of  God 
is  all  powerful,  and  that  freedom  from  all 
sin  must  be  the  desire  of  every  Christian, 
I  found  difficulty  in  deciding  that  no  one 
obtained  the  blessing.  But  in  looking  at 
the  high  standard  of  holiness  which  the 
Bible  has  set  up,  I  think  every  one,  who 
has  a  proper  view  of  himself,  will  decide 
^vith  the  apostle,  that  it  is  a  "  prize  of  the 
high  calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus,"  which 
is  3'et  far  before  him. 

Min. — ^Let  us  now  look  more  particu- 
larly at  some  arguments  from  the  Bible. 
James  speaks  the  language  of  Christian  ex- 


164  SINLESS  PERFECTION. 

perience,  when  lie  says,  James  iii.  2 — "  In 
many  things  we  ofl'end  all."  After  thus 
stating  the  general  truth,  that  "all"  are 
sinners  '4n  many -things,"  he  goes  on  to 
speak  of  particular  offences,  which  cast  a 
stain  upon  the  Christian  character,  and  I 
think  plainly  teaches  the  doctrine  of  Chris- 
tian perfection,  in  the  sense  in  which  I 
spoke  of  it  at  our  last  interview,  that  is,  a 
perfectly  consistent  gospel  character,  ex- 
hibiting to  the  world  the  piety  and  integ- 
rity of  the  inner  man,  and  the  sincerity  of 
his  profession.  "  If  any  man  offend  not  in 
word,  the  same  is  a  perfect  man,  and  able 
to  bridle  the  whole  body,"  &c.  He  teaches 
the  same  doctrine  in  chapter  i.  verse  27 — 
"  Pure  religion  and  undeliled  before  God 
and  the  Father  is  this,  to  visit  the  father- 
less and  widows  in  their  affliction,  and  to 
keep  himself  unspotted  from  the  world." 
Paul  says,  Phil.  iii.  12 — "  IS'ot  as  though  I 
had  already  attained,  either  were  already 
perfect."  In  whatever  sense  he  uses  the 
word  here,  it  is  plain  that  he  did  not  con- 
sider himself  perfect. 

Con. — But  are  we  to  suppose  that  Paul 
did  not  maintain  a  perfect  gospel  charac- 
ter? 

Min. — So  far  as  we  know,  he  did ;  but 
if  he  here  uses  the  word  in  that  sense,  it 
only  shows,  what  is  always  the  fact,  that 


SINLESS   PERFECTION.  165 

the  true  Christian,  who  is  striving  after  ho- 
liness, and  endeavouring  to  "  let  his  light 
shine,"  feeling  his  own  failures,  always 
puts  a  worse  estimate  on  his  own  charac- 
ter, than  others  who  cannot  see  him  as  he 
sees  himself.  A  man  who  advances  in  any 
degree  near  perfection  in  this  sense,  in  the 
eyes  of  others,  will  always  be  found  the 
last  man  to  claim  it  for  himself.  In  what 
a  striking  contrast,  then,  the  language  of 
the  apostle  appears,  to  that  of  our  modern 
boasting  Perfectionists  !  But  further,  Sol- 
omon in  his  prayer  at  the  dedication  of  the 
temple,  recorded  in  1  Kings  viii.  46,  be- 
seeches God  to  be  merciful  to  the  sins  of 
his  people,  and  expressly  says,  "For  there 
is  no  man  that  sinneth  not."  Again,  Job 
ix.  30,  31 — "  If  I  wash  myself  with  snow 
water,  and  make  my  hands  never  so  clean ; 
yet  shalt  thou  plunge  me  into  the  ditch,  and 
mine  own  clothes  shall  abhor  me.  For  he 
is  not  a  man,  as  I  am,  that  I  should  answer 
him,  and  we  should  come  together  in  judg- 
ment." Here  it  is  plainly  taught,  that 
however  pure  we  may  be  in  the  eyes  of  the 
world,  yet  with  God  we  are  vile  and  pol- 
luted. The  same  is  tauo-ht  in  stronofer  Ian- 
guage  still,  in  chapter  xv.  14 — "What  is 
man  that  he  should  be  clean?  And  he 
that  is  born  of  a  woman,  that  he  should  be 
righteous?"     But  he  speaks  more  expli- 


166.  SINLESS   PERFECTION". 

citly  still,  in  ix.  20 — "  If  I  say  I  am  perfect, 
it  shall  also  prove  me  pei-verse."  What  a 
commentar}^  on  the  language  of  a  Perfec- 
tionist! Again,  Eccl.  vii.  20 — "For there 
is  not  a  just  man  upon  earth,  that  doeth 
good,  and  sinneth  not."  Isa.  Ixiv.  6 — 
"  We  are  all  as  an  unclean  thing,  and  all 
our  righteousnesses  are  as  filthy  rags." 
These  passages  in  themselves  are  sufficient 
to  prove,  that  the  Bible  does  not  consider 
any  one  perfect  in  the  sense  in  which  Per- 
fectionists claim  it.  But  further  still.  Christ 
teaches  us  to  pray,  "  Forgive  us  our  tres- 
passes," &c.  This  direction  is  given  for 
secret  prayer,  and  therefore  these  "tres- 
passes," for  the  pardon  of  which  we  are  to 
pray,  are  our  own  individual  sins.  And 
it  is  also  plain,  that  it  was  intended  for  our 
daily  use.  The  fourth  petition  in  this  sum- 
mary of  prayer  given  for  our  direction,  is, 
"Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread,"  or 
"give  us  day  by  day  our  daily  bread,"  and 
the  next  petition  in  immediate  connection 
is,  "  forgive  us  our  trespasses,"  kc. 

It  will  not,  I  presume,  be  denied,  that 
this  direction  was  also  intended  for  Chris- 
tians. But,  if  any  one  be  perfect,  he  can- 
not pray  according  to  the  direction  of 
Christ,  for  he  has  no  sins  to  be  forgiven. 
Indeed,  the  prayers  of  a  man  who  esteems 
himself  perfect,  must  be  short  and  few,  if 


SINLESS   PERFECTION.  167 

he  may  be  said  to  pray  at  all.  He  needs 
no  grace  to  overcome  any  sinful  propensi- 
ty. "  The  body  of  sin  and  death,"  which 
troubled  the  apostle  so  much,  is  with  him 
perfectly  sanctified  and  holy.  He,  then, 
needs  neither  mercy  nor  grace.  But  these 
are  by  the  apostle  made  the  main  errand 
of  a  believer  at  a  throne  of  grace.  Heb. 
iv.  16 — "Let  us  therefore  come  boldly  un- 
to the  throne  of  grace,  that  we  may  obtain 
mercy  and  find  grace  to  help  in  time  of 
need."  But  a  Perfectionist  has  no  "time 
of  need;"  he  needs  no  more  "grace"  or 
"mercy;"  he  has  all  the  grace  he  needs, 
and  no  sins  to  be  forgiven,  and  consequent- 
ly has  no  errand  to  a  "throne  of  grace." 

As  to  the  Christian  experience  recorded 
in  the  Bible,  it  is  anything  but  perfection- 
ism. The  most  extensive  records  are  those 
of  David  and  Paul.  And  if  perfection 
were  to  be  found  anywhere,  we  might  sure- 
ly expect  to  find  it  in  the  experience  of 
these  eminent  servants  of  God.  But  what 
is  tbe  fact?  We  find  them  lamenting 
their  sins  and  short-comings,  recording 
their  earnest  longings  after  more  entire 
conformity  to  the  law  of  God,  and  praying 
for  more  grace  to  enable  them  to  advance  in 
the  divine  life.  We  find  no  intimation  any- 
where that  they  thought  themselves  per- 
fect, but  everywhere  the  reverse.     Time 


168  SINLESS   PERFECTION. 

will  not  permit  us  to  examine  the  numer- 
ous passages  in  which  thej  record  their 
sinfulness  as  their  constant  experience. 
But  we  will  look  at  some  of  them.  Psa. 
XXV.  11 — "For  thy  name's  sake,  O  Lord, 
pardon  mine  iniquity;  for  it  is  great." 
xxxi.  10 — "My  strength  faileth  because 
of  mine  iniquity,  and  my  bones  are  con- 
sumed." xxxviii.  3,  4,  5 — "Neither  is 
there  any  rest  in  my  bones,  because  of  my 
sin.  For  mine  iniquities  are  gone  over 
my  head;  as  an  hea^-y  burden,  they  are 
too  heavy  for  me.  My  wounds  stink,  and 
are  corrupt,  because  of  my  foolishness." 
xl.  12 — "  For  innumerable  evils  have  com- 
passed me  about ;  mine  iniquities  have 
taken  hold  upon  me,  so  that  I  am  not  able 
to  look  up ;  they  are  more  than  the  hairs 
of  mine  head,  therefore  m}^  heart  faileth 
me."  This  does  not  look  much  like  per- 
fection ;  and  much  more  of  the  same  kind 
might  be  given.  The  119th  Psalm  is  al- 
most one  continued  confession  of  failure 
in  duty,  and  prayer  for  quickening  grace. 
Verse  5th — "  0  that  my  ways  were  direc- 
ted to  keep  thy  statutes."  25 — "My  soul 
cleaveth  unto  the  dust :  quicken  thou  me 
according  to  thy  word."  29 — "Kemove 
from  me  the  way  of  lying,  and  grant  me 
thy  law  graciously."  32 — "  I  vi^l  run  the 
way  of  thy  commandments,  when  thou 


SINLESS  PERFECTION.  169 

shalt  enlarge  my  heart."  81 — "  My  soul 
faintetli  for  thy  salvation ;  but  I  hope  in 
thy  word."  96 — "I  have  seen  an  end  of 
all  perfection ;  but  thy  commandment  is 
exceeding  broad."  123 — "Mine  eyes  fail 
for  thy  salvation,  and  for  the  word  of  thy 
righteousness."  131 — "I  opened  my 
mouth  and  panted :  for  I  longed  for  thy 
commandments."  176 — "I  have  gone 
astray  like  a  lost  sheep :  seek  thy  servant ; 
for  I  do  not  forget  thy  commandments." 
All  these  exjiress  the  exercises  of  the  pious 
soul,  that  feels  its  short-comings,  and  longs 
after  greater  conformity  to  the  law  of  God, 
but  they  would  sound  very  strange  in  the 
mouth  of  a  Perfectionist. 

Paul  gives  his  experience  in  language 
equally  plain,  and,  if  possible,  more  strong 
and  explicit.  Kom.  vii.  14 — 25 — "For we 
know  that  the  law  is  spiritual ;  but  I  am 
carnal,  sold  under  sin.  For  that  which  I 
do,  I  allow  not :  for  what  I  would,  that  do 
I  not ;  but  what  I  hate,  that  do  I.  If  then 
I  do  that  which  I  would  not,  I  consent  un- 
to the  law,  that  it  is  good,  is'ow  then  it  is 
no  more  I  that  do  it,  but  sin  that  dwell- 
eth  in  me.  For  I  know  that  in  me,  (that 
is,  in  my  flesh,)  dwelleth  no  good  thing : 
for  to  will  is  present  with  me ;  but  how 
to  perforai  that  which  is  good  I  find  not. 
For  the  good  that  I  w^ould,  I  do  not :  but 
15 


170  SINLESS  PERFECTION. 

the  evil  whicli  I  would  not,  that  I  do. 
Kow  if  I  do  that  I  would  not,  it  is  no  more 
I  that  do  it,  but  sin  that  dwelleth  in  me. 
I  find  then  a  law,  that  when  I  would  do 
good,  evil  is  present  with  me.  For  I  de- 
light in  the  law  of  God  after  the  inward 
man.  But  I  see  another  law  in  my  mem- 
bers, warring  against  the  law  of  my  mind, 
and  bringing  me  into  captivity  to  the  law 
of  sin  which  is  in  my  members.  O  wretch- 
ed man  that  I  am !  who  shall  deliver  me 
from  the  body  of  this  death?  I  thank 
God  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  So 
then,  mth  the  mind  I  myself  serve  the  law 
of  God,  but  with  the  flesh  the  law  of  sin." 
This,  in  itself,  if  there  were  not  another 
passage  in  the  Bible,  is  sufiicient  to  prove 
that  the  apostle  was  a  stranger  to  anything 
like  sinless  perfection. 

Con. — But  does  not  this,  taking  it  all  to- 
gether, prove  too  much,  and,  therefore, 
prove  nothing  ?  Does  not  the  apostle  use 
language  which  cannot  be  true  of  the 
Christian  ? — "  I  am  carnal,  sold  under  sin." 
Can  this  be  true  of  any  one  who  is  a  true 
believer  ?  He  says  in  another  place,  of 
Christians,  "Ye  are  not  under  the  law,  but 
under  grace."  How,  then,  can  they  be 
"sold  under  sin  ?" 

Min. — It  is  a  very  strong  expression,  I 
admit;  and  those  who  advocate  the  doc- 


SINLESS  PERFECTION.  171 

trine  of  perfection,  have  laid  hold  of  it  to 
prove  that  the  apostle  is  not  giving  his 
own  experience,  but  the  feelings  of  a  sin- 
ner. But  the  falsity  of  such  a  view,  is 
clearly  shown  in  the  22d  verse — "  I  de- 
light in  the  law  of  God  after  the  inward 
man."  And  he  gives  the  language  of  a 
true  believer  in  the  25th  verse — "I  thank 
God  throuiih  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord."  It 
is  as  impossible  to  apply  this  to  an  uncon- 
verted sinner,  as  the  whole  passage  to  a 
Perfectionist.  But  the  expression,  "  car- 
nal, sold  under  sin,"  is  of  very  easy  solu- 
tion, if  we  allow  the  apostle  to  explain  him- 
self, which  he  does  in  the  verse  imme- 
diately following — "  For  that  which  I  do, 
I  allow  not,"  &c.  The  word  "for,"  con- 
nects the  two  verses,  and  shows  that  the 
one  is  explanatory  of  the  other.  The  sim- 
ple meaning,  therefore,  is,  that  he  was  an 
unwilling  "  sei'^^ant"  of  his  inward  propen- 
sities, against  which  he  was  struggling, 
and  from  which  he  desired  to  be  free,  but 
which  he  still  felt  maintaining  their  power 
over  him,  and  still  "bringing  him  into 
captivity."  It  expresses,  in  very  strong 
terms,  the  inward  conflict  which  every 
Christian  experiences  and  understands. 
The  passage  taken  together,  contains  an 
unanswerable  proof  that  perfection  in  ho- 
liness is  not  attainable  in  this  life,  or  at 


172  SINLESS   PERFECTION. 

least  that  the  apostle  had  not  attained  it 
when  he  wrote  this  account  of  his  expe- 
rience. And  to  my  mind  it  is  clear,  that 
a  Perfectionist,  instead  of  having  com- 
pleted the  Christian  warfare,  has  it  yet  to 
begin. 

Con. — But  have  we  no  account  of  any 
one  in  the  Bible,  who  claimed  to  have  at- 
tained perfection  in  holiness  ? 

Min. — Xot  unless  the  Pharisee  may  be 
so  called,  who,  Christ  tells  us,  "went  up 
to  the  temple  to  pray."  He  claimed  to  be 
perfect,  even  before  God.  He  had  no  sins 
to  be  pardoned,  and  no  grace  to  ask,  in  his 
own  estimation  ;  but  thanked  God  that  he 
was  so  good.  "Lord,  I  thank  thee  that  I 
am  not  as  other  men,"  &c.  A\T.iether  he 
knew  in  his  heart  that  he  was  a  sinner  or 
not,  we  are  not  told,  but  we  know  he 
claimed  to  be  perfect,  and  wished  to  be  so 
esteemed.  He  had  no  errand  to  a  throne 
of  grace  but  to  enumerate  his  virtues,  and 
thank  God  that  he  had  no  sin.  But  it  is 
only  another  proof  of  the  truth  of  the  say- 
ing of  John,  1  John  i.  8 — "If  we  say  that 
we  have  no  sin,  we  deceive  ourselves,  and 
the  truth  is  not  in  us." 

Con. — But  if  so  much  of  our  nature  still 
remains  unsanctified,  does  it  not  afford  a 
ground  of  fear,  that  it  will  entirely  over- 
come all  our  holy  purposes  and  resolutions, 


SINLESS   PERFECTION.  173 

and  prove  the  cause  of  our  final  apostacy 
from  God  and  holiness  ? 

Min. — Every  Christian  no  doubt  feels, 
that  if  the  warfare  were  to  be  carried  on 
in  his  own  strength,  there  would  be  little 
doubt  as  to  the  result.  But  the  fact  that 
they  feel  their  owm  weakness,  teaches  them 
where  their  strength  lies,  and  it  is  thus 
made  instrumental  in  their  perseverance 
in  holiness,  through  divine  grace. 

But  as  this  involves  the  general  doc- 
trine of  perseverance,  we  will  consider  it 
at  our  next  interview\ 
15* 


DIALOGUE  Xy. 

PERSEVERANCE. 

Convert. — The  sentiment  you  advanced 
at  our  last  interview,  that  the  remaining 
corruptions  of  our  nature  are  instrumental 
in  our  perseverance  in  holiness,  seems  to 
me  a  paradox,  which  I  cannot  fully  under- 
stand, or  reconcile  with  the  doctrines  of 
grace.  Does  it  not  make  sin  one  of  the 
means  of  grace  ? 

Minister. — A  person  who  feels  that  he  is 
sick,  and  uses  means  for  his  recovery,  does 
not  make  his  sickness  instrumental  in  his 
restoration.  It  is  his  knowledge  of  his 
disease,  that  leads  him  to  the  use  of  pro- 
per means.  So,  if  a  Christian's  sense  of 
his  remaining  imperfection,  lead  him  to 
the  fountain  of  grace,  in  the  use  of  proper 
means,  it  does  not  make  his  sin  a  means  of 
grace.  I  mentioned  it,  however,  as  a  fact 
in  Christian  experience,  to  show  that  our 
imperfection,  in  this  life,  was  no  argument 
against  our  final  perseverance,  but  rather 
in  favour  of  it.  Such  was  Paul's  expe- 
rience, when  he  says,  2  Cor.  xii.  9,  10 — 
(174) 


PERSEVERANCE.  175 

"  Most  gladly,  therefore,  will  I  rather  glo- 
ry in  my  infirmities,  that  the  power  of 
Christ  may  rest  upon  me.  *  *  *  For, 
when  I  am  weak,  then  am  I  strong."  It 
was  not  his  weakness,  in  itself,  that  was 
his  strength;  but  feeling  his  weakness, 
he  was  led  to  look  for  grace,  that  he  might 
enjoy  its  almighty  power.  Such,  I  need 
hardly  tell  you,  is  the  experience  of  eveiy 
Christian,  unless  we  may  except  the  Per- 
fectionist, whose  experience  in  this,  as  in 
everything  else,  diflTers  from  that  of  Paul. 
When  you  look  at  yourself,  and  realize 
your  shoit-comings  and  failures,  and  how 
far  your  heart  is,  in  many  respects,  from 
what  it  should  be,  does  it  not  lead  you, 
not  only  to  pray  for,  but  to  admire  and 
love  that  grace,  which  can,  and  does  ele- 
vate,^  refine,  and  quicken  a  heart  so  cold 
and  insensible  ? 

Con. — I  can  truly  say,  that  such  is  my 
experience ;  and  I  have  often  admired  the 
language  of  one  of  our  hymns : 

*'  Almighty  grace !  thy  healing  power, 

How  glorious — how  divine ! 
That  can  to  life  and  bliss  restore 

So  cold  a  heart  as  mine.'' 

Min. — This  is  simply  what  the  apostle 
means  by  "  glorying  in  infirmity."  And  it  is 
easy  to  see  how  such  experience  has  a  ten- 
dency to  keep  the  Christian  constantly  at  a 


176  PERSEVERANCE. 

throne  of  grace,  where  he  finds  his  only 
hope  of  perseverance  in  holiness.  This  is 
the  ground  upon  which  the  doctrine  of 
perseverance  is  based.  It  is  not  of  man, 
but  of  God.  I  need  not  stay  to  prove,  that 
we  are  entirely  dependent  on  God  for  per- 
severing grace.  The  work  of  sanctifica- 
tion  is  his,  and  his  entirely. 

Con. — But  is  not  the  Christian  actively 
engaged  in  his  own  sanctification? 

Min, — He  "works  out  his  own  salva- 
tion"— but  still  "it  is  God  that  workethin 
him,  both  to  will  and  to  do."— Pbil.  ii.  12, 
13.  The  Christian  grows  in  grace,  but  it 
is  God  that  enables  him.  His  mind  concurs 
in  the  work ;  so  that  he  is  not  only  active- 
ly, but  zealously  engaged  in  it ;  but  it  is 
in  striving  to  obtain  that  grace,  upon 
which  he  feels  he  is  entirely  dependent. 
All  his  exertions  and  prayers  are  to  this 
end.  But  this,  instead  of  proving  that  his 
final  perseverance  depends  upon  himself, 
proves  the  contrary.  If,  then,  the  j^erse- 
verance  of  Christians  in  a  life  of  faith  and 
holiness,  depends  upon  God,  and  any 
finally  and  totally  apostatize,  it  must  be 
because  God  is  either  unable  or  unwilling 
to  carry  them  forward  in  their  Christian 
course  to  complete  salvation.  That  he  is 
unable,  I  presume  none  will  contend — 
that  he  is  unwilling,  will  not,  I  think,  be 


PERSEVERANCE.  ITT 

contended  by  any  one  who  has  anything 
like  a  proper  estimate  of  his  character,  as 
revealed  in  his  word,  and  exhibited  in  his 
providence  and  grace.  He  has  regene- 
rated, justified,  and,  in  part,  sanctified 
them ;  he  has  given  them  to  his  Son  as 
trophies  of  his  cross,  pardoned  all  their 
sins,  adopted  them  as  sons  and  daughters 
into  his  family,  and  the  Saviour  has  pre- 
pared mansions  for  them  in  heaven.  Then, 
to  say  that  God  is  unwilling  to  preserve 
them,  would,  it  seems  to  me,  be  as  absurd 
and  blasphemous  as  to  say  that  he  is  una- 
ble. 1  Thess.  iv.  3—"  This  is  the  will  of  God, 
even  your  sanctification."  If,  then,  the 
work  be  his,  and  he  be  both  able  and  will- 
ing to  perform  it,  we  may  conclude  it  will 
be  done. 

Con. — But  though  God  is  willing  and 
able  to  save  them,  may  he  not  be  provoked 
to  withdraw  his  Spirit,  and  leave  them  to 
final  apostacy,  as  a  punisbment  for  their 
sins  ? 

Min. — God  might,  it  is  true,  if  he  saw 
fit,  withdraw  his  gifts,  and  the  abandoned 
sinner  would  have  no  just  cause  of  com- 
plaint. But  the  question  is,  will  he  do  it, 
after  all  that  he  has  done  for  him  ?     His 

fifts  were  free,  and   entirely   unmerited, 
'here  was  no  compulsion.     Xeither  was 
there   any   want   of   consideration.     Men 


178  PERSEVERANCE. 

may  bestow  gifts  inconsiderately  and  rashly, 
and  afterwards  lind  occasion  to  withdraw 
them ;  but  God's  gifts  are  bestowed  with 
a  full  knowledge  of  all  or  any  difficulties 
that  might  arise  in  the  way  of  their  con- 
tinuance, lie  knew  when  he  o:ave  them, 
whether  anything  would  ever  require  him 
to  withdraw  them.  If  he  gave  them  with 
a  knowledge  that  he  would  withdraw  them, 
(which  all  must  admit,  if  they  should  ever 
be  withdrawn,)  then  he  acts  a  part  more 
capricious  than  men  ;  for  no  man  would 
bestow  a  gift  when  he  knew  that  it  would 
be  so  abused  that  he  would  be  compelled 
to  withdraw  it.  Yet  the  advocates  of  the 
doctrine  of  "falling  from  grace,"  as  it  is 
termed,  would  have  us  believe,  that  God 
regenerates,  justifies,  pardons,  and  in  part 
sanctifies,  or  as  some  say  sanctifies  per- 
fectlv,  those  wdio  he  knows  must  bear 
his  wrath  in  hell  for  ever.  Surely,  the  ad- 
vocates of  such  a  doctrine,  do  not  consider 
what  they  teach. 

Con. — But  may  we  not  suppose  that  his 
grace  is  bestowed  conditionally:  that  is,  if 
the  Christian  improve  the  gift,  it  will  be 
continued  and  increased  ;  but  if  not,  it  will 
be  withdrawn  ? 

Min. — That  supposition  will  not  relieve 
the  difficulty.  Let  us  suppose  that  the 
grace   of  justification,  or  pardon,   is   be- 


PERSEVERANCE.  179 

stowed  conditionally.  But  a  conditional 
pardon  is  no  pardon  at  all.  If  it  be  sus- 
pended on  anything  to  be  done,  it  is  not 
granted — it  is  only  promised.  But  if  a 
man  is  not  actually  pardoned  and  justified, 
he  is  not  a  Christian.  It  is  not  an  unre- 
generated,  unjustified  sinner,  that  we  say 
will  be  enabled  by  God  to  persevere,  but 
the  true  Christian,  who  is  really  a  child  of 
God,  who  has  actually  been  justified 
through  faith,  one  whose  heart  has  been 
changed  by  divine  grace,  who  has  exer- 
cised faith  in  the  merits  of  Jesus  Christ, 
who  truly  loves  God,  feels  thankful  for 
the  mercy  and  grace  he  has  received, 
rejoices  to  believe  that  he  is  pardoned  and 
accepted  of  God ;  and  yet  he  is  not  par- 
doned, if  it  only  be  promised  conditionally, 
and  he  is  not  yet  at  liberty  even  to  hope 
for  heaven.  How  could  we  exhort  such 
an  one  ?  We  could  not  exhort  him  to  con- 
tinue in  a  state  of  justification  ;  for  he  is 
not  yet  justified.  We  could  not  exhort 
him  to  continue  a  Christian  ;  for  he  is  not 
yet  a  Christian — the  wrath  of  God  is  still 
abiding  on  him,  and  he  is  still  in  a  state 
of  condemnation — the  curse  is  not  yet  re- 
moved. 

But  there  are  other  difficulties  arising 
from  such  a  supposition.  If  pardon  and 
justification  be  suspended  upon  the  condi- 


180  PERSEVERANCE. 

tion  of  perseverance  in  holiness,  they  can- 
not be  bestowed  on  account  of  the  merits 
of  Christ ;  and  thus  it  is  subversive  of  the 
main  principle  of  the  gospel.  How  much 
more  consistent  with  the  plain  dictates  of 
common  sense,  to  believe,  as  the  Bible 
tells  us,  that  when  a  sinner  believes  and 
repents,  all  his  sins  are  actually  pardoned, 
and  that,  on  the  ground  of  the  righteous- 
ness of  Christ,  he  is  justified  and  accepted 
as  righteous  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  is 
fully  reconciled,  and  adopted  as  a  child  of 
God,  and  an  heir  of  heaven,  and  the  man- 
sions of  glory,  to  which  he  will  certainly 
be  received. 

Con. — Are  we,  then,  to  suppose  that  the 
perseverance  of  the  Christian  is  altogether 
unconditional  ?  That  is,  are  we  to  sup- 
pose that  he  will  certainly  obtain  complete 
salvation,  whether  he  live  a  holy  life  or 
not? 

Min. — That  is  supposing  a  contradiction. 
It  is  perseverance  in  holiness  that  is  se- 
cured ;  and  it  is  secured  in  the  same  way 
with  his  regeneration  and  justification. 
You  recollect  that  when  we  w^ere  consider- 
ing the  doctrine  of  election,  it  was  made 
plain  from  the  fact,  that  God  is  the  author 
of  regeneration  and  conversion  from  sin  to 
holiness ;  because,  when  God  converts  a  sin- 
ner, he  does  it  from  design,  and  as  he  can 


PERSEVERANCE.  181 

have  no  new  designs,  it  must  have  been 
eternal.  Kow,  his  design  is  not  to  save 
any  one  in  sin,  but  "  through  sanctification 
of  the  Spirit  and  behef  of  the  truth." — 2 
Thess.  ii.  13.  Ilis  purpose  to  save  em- 
braces both  regeneration  and  sanctification. 
"Wlien  you  look  at  God's  mercy  and  grace, 
in  your  conversion,  and  trace  it  back  to  its 
source,  you  find  the  doctrine  of  election; 
and  you  have  only  to  trace  it  forward  to  its 
completion,  to  find  the  doctrine  of  perse- 
verance. You  have  said  that  God,  in  your 
conversion,  ^^-as  fulfilling  his  gracious  de- 
sign which  he  must  have  had  toward  you. 
That  design  was,  of  course,  to  save  you 
through  the  operations  of  his  Spirit,  trans- 
forming you  anew,  and  making  you  meet 
for  heaven.  Thus,  holiness  is  not  a  condi- 
tion of  perseverance,  but  a  part  of  it ;  and 
to  suppose  that  it  is  irrespective  of  holi- 
ness, is  a  contradiction.  Here,  too,  we  see 
an  argument  for  the  truth  of  the  doctrine, 
which,  to  my  mind,  is  conclusive.  If 
God's  design,  in  your  conversion,  were  not 
to  save  you  finally,  it  could  not  be  a  gra- 
cious design.  When  he  sent  his  Spirit  to 
change  your  heart,  and  enable  you  to  be- 
lieve on  his  Son  ;  raised  your  atiections  to 
himself,  and  fixed  your  hopes  in  heaven, 
if  he  only  designed  to  lead  you  forward  for 
a  time,  and  then  leave  you  to  go  to  hell  at 
16 


182  PERSEVERANCE. 

last,  his  design  was  anything  but  gracious. 
But  let  us  suppose  such  a  case.  A  man, 
through  the  grace  of  God,  is  converted  at 
thirty  years  of  age.  All  his  sins  are  par- 
doned. He  is  justified,  and  in  part,  sanc- 
tified, admitted  to  communion  and  fellow- 
ship with  God,  rejoices  to  believe  that  he 
is  forgiven  and  accepted  of  God  through 
the  merits  of  Christ,  and  is  cheered  with 
the  prospect  of  complete  salvation.  He 
lives  a  Christian  life  for  one  or  two  years, 
"  falls  from  grace,"  loses  entirely  all  his  in- 
terest in  religion,  dies  a  child  of  Satan, 
and  goes  to  hell.  How  will  such  an  one 
give  his  account  ?  The  sins  of  his  .first 
thirty  years  have  all  been  pardoned  through 
Christ.  But  if  he  be  punished  only  for  the 
sins  of  the  last  few  months,  he  does  not  re- 
ceive according  to  his  deeds.  His  punish- 
ment is  not  in  proportion  to  his  guilt, 
which  is  contrary  to  the  principles  of  jus- 
tice, and  the  plain  declarations  of  the  Bible. 
But  the  supposition  that  any  one,  who  has 
been  truly  regenerated  and  sanctified, 
washed  in  the  blood  of  Christ,  and  adopted 
as  a  child  of  God,  will  at  last  be  left  of 
God  and  sent  to  hell,  is  so  inconsistent 
with  the  character  and  dealings  of  God, 
that  it  onlv  needs  to  be  mentioned  to  see 
its  absurdity.  Yet  all  this  absurdity  is  m- 
volved  in  the  doctrine  of  *' falling  from 
grace." 


PERSEVERANCE.  183 

Con. — ^But  will  it  not  have  a  tendency 
to  make  the  Christian  feel  secure,  and  re- 
lax his  efforts  to  advance  in  holiness,  to 
know  that  his  salvation  is  certain  and  un- 
alterably fixed  in  the  purpose  and  good 
pleasure  of  God  ? 

Min. — It  is  often  urged  by  the  enemies 
of  the  doctrine  of  perseverance,  that  it  is 
dangerous.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  hear 
them  say,  that  if  the  doctrine  be  true,  any 
one  may  live  as  he  pleases.  I  once  heard 
a  preacher  say :  "  If  I  believed  such  a  doc- 
trine, I  would  care  nothing  about  growth 
in  grace,  or  living  a  holy  life."  But  such 
objectors  forget,  that  if  they  speak  accord- 
ing to  their  feelings,  they  give  strong  evi- 
dence that  they  are  strangers  to  the  love 
of  God,  and  cast  a  severe  reflection  upon 
true  religion.  Suppose  a  father,  when 
about  to  settle  a  patrimony  upon  his  son, 
is  told  that  it  will  be  dangerous  to  do  so, 
lest,  when  the  son  should  know  that  all 
was  securely  his,  he  would  treat  him  un- 
kindly. What  severer  reflection  could  he 
cast  upon  the  son  ?  And  what  mournful 
e%ddence  it  would  be  of  the  son's  entire 
selfishness,  and  want  of  love  to  his  father, 
to  hear  him  say,  that  if  his  father  would  fix 
the  patrimony  securely  in  his  hands,  he 
would  not  care  how  he  treated  him !  Just 
such  is  the  evidence  that  the  professed 


184  PERSEVERANCE. 

Christian  gives  of  his  love  to  God,  who 
says  that  if  he  once  felt  sure  of  heaven,  he 
would  not  care  how  he  lived.  I  admit  that 
it  would  be  dangerous  to  make  heaven 
sure  to  such.  "Whether  it  would  be  dan- 
gerous or  not,  for  a  father  thus  to  settle 
the  patrimony  upon  his  son,  would  depend 
altogether  on  the  nature  of  the  son's  feel- 
ings towards  him.  If  they  were  altogether 
selfish,  it  would  be  dangerous.  But  if  the 
son  truly  loved  his  father,  it  would  in- 
crease his  filial  attachment  to  know  that 
his  father  had  done  so  much  for  him.  The 
more  he  would  give  the  son,  the  more  the 
son  would  love  him.  So,  if  a  Christian 
have  true  love  to  God,  we  need  not  fear  to 
tell  him  how  much  God  has  done  for  him. 
The  more  he  sees  of  the  love  of  God,  the 
more  his  own  heart  will  be  warmed  with 
the  heavenl}^  flame,  and  he  will  desire  the 
more  to  be  conformed  to  his  image.  I 
think  it  will  be  admitted,  that  it  is  the  ex- 
perience of  every  Christian,  that  the 
brighter  and  firmer  his  hopes  are  of  hea- 
ven, the  more  he  desires  to  be  made  meet 
for  it;  and  just  in  proportion  as  faith  is  to 
him  the  certain  "  evidence  (or  confidence) 
of  things  not  seen,"  he  presses  with  eager- 
ness "  to  the  mark,  for  the  prize  of  the 
high  calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus." 
The  doctrine  of  perseverance,  then,  to  a 


PERSEVERANCE.  185 

true  Christian,  is  one  of  his  greatest  in- 
centives to  growth  in  grace ;  and  every  one 
upon  whom  it  has  a  contrary  effect,  has 
much  reason  to  doubt  the  reality  of  his  re- 
ligion. His  love  to  God  cannot  be  sincere. 
But  as  our  conversation  has  been  suffi- 
ciently protracted  at  present,  we  will  defer 
the  Bible  argument  on  the  subject  to  ano- 
ther time. 
16* 


DIALOGUE  XVI. 

PERSEVERANCE. 

Convert. — There  is  one  argiiment  against 
tlie  doctrine  of  perseverance,  drawn  from 
facts,  that  I  have  found  difficult  to  meet,  or 
answer.  There  are  many  cases  of  persons 
who  give  all  the  evidences  of  a  change  of 
heart,  and  seem,  for  a  time,  to  enjoy  all 
the  comforts  and  blessings  of  true  religion, 
who  return  to  the  world  and  sin,  and  be-, 
come  worse  than  they  were  before. 

Minister. — They  thereby  prove,  in  the 
clearest  manner,  that  their  religion  was 
vain.  They  have  not  had  that  sealing  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  with  which  he  indelibly 
marks  the  heirs  of  grace.  I  know  it  is 
counted  uncharitable  to  say,  that  all  such 
had  only  a  false  hope,  and  that  their  house 
was  only  built  on  the  sand;  and,  though 
by  saying  so,  we  come  under  the  anathe- 
ma of  the  zealous  advocates  of  the  doc- 
trine of ''  falling  from  grace,"  we  know  we 
are  not  the  first  who  have  been  thus  de- 
nounced, and  will  likely  not  be  the  last.  The 
doctrine  of  perseverance  was  oue  of  the 
distinguishing  doctrines  of  the  Reforma- 
(186) 


PERSEVEKANCE.  187 

tion,  and  met  with  the  bitterest  opposi- 
tion from  the  Pope  and  his  adherents.  The 
Council  of  Trent  decreed,  that  "if  any  per- 
son shall  say  that  a  man  who  has  been 
justified  cannot  lose  grace,  and  that,  there- 
fore, he  who  falls  and  sins  was  never  truly 
justified,  he  shall  be  accursed."  But  the 
denunciations  of  Papists,  and  other  error- 
ists,  cannot  affect  the  truth  of  a  doctrine 
jjlainly  taught  by  the  Saviour  himself.  He 
tells  us  that  many,  who  had  such  false 
hopes,  will  appear  at  the  da}^  of  judgment, 
to  whom  he  will  say,  "I  never  knew  you; 
depart  from  me,  ye  that  work  iniquity." — 
Matt.  vii.  23.  Now,  if  the  doctrine  of 
"  falling  from  grace"  be  true,  some  at  that 
day  could  contradict  the  Judge,  and  tell 
him,  "  You  did  know  me ;  I  was  regene- 
rated by  your  Spirit;  I  was  justified 
through  your  righteousness ;  pardoned 
through  your  blood ;  sanctified  by  your 
grace ;  enjoyed  seasons  of  communion  with 
you;  you  heard  my  prayers;  called  me 
brother;  and  I  rejoiced  that  you  were  ^not 
ashamed  to  call  me  brother,'  (Heb.  ii.  11,) 
for  I  was  a  true  child  of  God."  'Now,  it 
is  very  plain,  that  all  this  would  be  true, 
if  any  fall  away,  totally  and  finalty,  who 
once  had  true  religion  ;  and  the  saying  of 
the  Judge,  that  he  "never  knew  them," 
would  not  be  true.     But  the  language  of 


188  PERSEVERANCE. 

the  Sa^dour  plainly  teaches,  that  all  pro- 
fessors of  religion,  who  are  finally  lost, 
were  only  false  professors,  and  were  entire 
strangers  to  true  religion.  "We  are  thus 
placed  under  the  necessity  of  contradicting 
this  plain  statement  of  Christ  himself,  or 
of  disbelieving  that  any  who  are  true 
Christians  will  finally  be  lost. 

Co7i. — But  are  there  not  other  passages  of 
Scripture,  which  seem  to  favour  the  doc- 
trine, that  a  Christian  may  totally  and 
finally  apostatize,  and  be  eternally  lost  ? 

Min. — There  are  several  passages  that 
make  such  a  supposition,  from  which  the 
advocates  of  the  doctrine  think  it  clearly 
proved.  It  is,  however,  only  supposed ;  it 
is  no  where  directly  asserted  :  whereas,  it 
is  again  and  again  directly  asserted,  that 
they  shall  not  fall  away.  And,  it  is  a  plain 
dictate  of  common  sense,  that  we  should 
never  make  a  supposition  contradict  a  po- 
sitive assertion,  or  give  the  supposition  a 
preference,  to  establish  a  doctrine  which 
contradicts  the  assertion.  There  are  such 
suppositions  made  respecting  God  himself. 
The  Psalmist,  in  the  eleventh  Psalm, 
speaks  of  God  being  the  great  foundation 
of  his  trust  and  hope,  and  adds,  in  the 
third  verse,  "If  the  foundations  be  de- 
stroyed, what  can  the  righteous  do  ?"  This 
is  a  supposition  that  God  would  prove  un- 


PERSEVERANCE.  189 

wortliy  of  our  confidence,  or  should  fail  in 
his  promises,  &c.  And  the  supposition  is 
made  to  excite  our  gratitude,  in  contrast- 
ing our  privilege  of  trusting  in  God,  with 
the  wretchedness  of  our  condition,  if  that 
foundation  w^ere  taken  away,  and  we  could 
no  longer  put  our  trust  in  him.  i^ow,  w^ho 
would  ever  think  of  taking  this  supposi- 
tion to  prove  the  possibility  of  God  failing 
us,  as  a  rock  upon  which  we  may  at  all 
times  trust  with  unwavering  confidence  ? 
And  yet,  it  is  just  as  legitimate  a  course 
of  reasoning,  as  to  argue  from  the  suppo- 
sition of  the  Christian  being  lost,  that  he 
may  be.  Such  sujDpositions  are  frequent  in 
the  Bible,  and  they  are  not  intended  to 
teach,  that  the  cases  supposed  will  actual- 
ly occur ;  but,  as  in  the  case  above,  to  show 
us  the  excellence  of  the  opposite  truth. 

Con. — But  are  there  no  positive  asser- 
tions in  the  Bible,  that  Christians  do,  or 
may,  finally  and  totally  apostatize  and 
perish  ? 

Min. — I  have  not  been  able  to  find  a 
single  passage  in  w^hich  it  is  asserted ;  and 
all  the  passages  that  I  have  seen  quoted  by 
the  abettors  of  the  doctrine,  amount  to 
nothing  more  than  suppositions,  such  as  I 
have  mentioned.  One  passage  upon  which 
they  rely  very  much,  is  Ezek.  xxxiii.  13 — 
"  When  I  shall  say  to  the  righteous,  that 
he  shall  surely  live ;  if  he  trust  to  his  own 


190  PERSEVERANCE. 

righteousness  and  commit  iniquity,  all  his 
righteousness  shall  not  be  remembered ; 
but  for  his  iniquity  that  he  hath  committed, 
he  shall  die  for  it."  It  is  supposed,  by  the 
most  eminent  commentators,  that  the 
"righteous"  here  spoken  of,  are  to  be  un- 
derstood as  those  false  professors  of  whom 
Christ  will  testify,  he  never  knew  them. 
This  understanding  of  the  passage,  is  ren- 
dered more  forcible  from  the  fact,  that 
they  are  warned  against  "trusting  to  their 
own  righteousness,"  which  is  always  a  char- 
acteristic of  the  false  professor.  If  that  be 
the  import  of  the  term,  as  here  used,  it  af- 
fords no  proof,  or  even  a  supposition,  of 
the  true  Christian  falling  away.  But  even 
if  we  understand  by  the  term  "  righteous," 
true  Christians,  it  only  amounts  to  a  sup- 
position, or  what  is  termed  a  hypothetical 
statement.  It  contains  a  two-fold  hypo- 
thesis :  "  If  he  trust  to  his  own  righteous- 
ness," and  if  he  "  commit  iniquity."  I^ow 
it  will  be  admitted,  I  think,  that  there  is 
no  danger  of  a  true  Christian  "  trusting  to 
his  own  righteousness."  Yet  the  case  is 
supposed ;  and  because  it  is  supposed,  is  no 
proof  that  he  will.  J^either  is  the  suppo- 
sition of  his  "committing  iniquity,"  so  as 
finally  and  totally  to  apostatize,  any  proof 
that  he  Avill. 

But   another  passage  which  is  always 


PERSEVERANCE.  191 

quoted,  and  relied  on,  to  prove  the  doc- 
trine, is  Heb.  vi.  4,  5,  6 — "For  it  is  im- 
possible for  those  who  were  once  enlight- 
ened, and  have  tasted  of  the  heavenly  gift, 
and  were  made  partakers  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  have  tasted  the  good  word  of 
God,  and  the  powers  of  the  world  to  come, 
if  they  shall  fall  away,  to  renew  them  again 
unto  repentance."  This  passage,  you  per- 
ceive, contains  a  supposition,  and  a  posi- 
tive assertion  based  upon  it.  The  suppo- 
sition is  of  the  Christian  "  falling  aAvay," 
and  the  positive  assertion  is,  the  impossi- 
bility of  their  being  "  renewed  again  unto 
repentance."  But  those  who  plead  it  as 
proof  that  the  supposed  case  may  occur, 
overlook  entirel}^  the  positive  assertion, 
which  directly  disproves  their  whole  sys- 
tem. They  contend,  that  a  true  Christian 
may  fall  away  entirely,  and  be  renewed 
again — that  a  person  may  be  a  child  of 
God  to-day,  and  a  child  of  Satan  to-mor- 
row, and,  again,  a  child  of  God  the  next 
day.  They  seem  to  forget  entirely,  that 
almost  all  these  hypothetical  statements 
respecting  falling  from  a  state  of  grace, 
have  coupled  with  the  hypothesis,  this  posi- 
tive assertion  ;  so,  if  these  statements 
prove  anything  at  all  respecting  their  sys- 
tem, it  is,  that  it  is  false.  Bat  they  are 
hypothetical  statements,  which  were  not 


192  PERSEVERANCE. 

intended  to  prove,  that  tlie  cases  supposed 
would  actually  occur,  but  to  show  us  the 
necessity  of  continuing  in  holiness  to  the 
attainment  of  final  salvation.  They  are  in- 
centives to  watchfulness,  diligence,  and^ 
prayer ;  and  thus  are  the  means  of  our/ 
perseverance  in  grace.  God  deals  with  us 
in  this,  as  in  all  things  else,  as  rational 
creatures,  and  works  upon  us  by  means 
and  motives,  addressed  to  our  hopes  and 
fears.  This,  I  think,  is  plain  from  the  con- 
text. The  apostle,  after  having  given  this 
solemn  warning,  adds,  in  the  ninth  verse, 
*'But  beloved,  we  are  persuaded  better 
things  of  you,  and  things  that  accompany 
salvation,  though  we  thus  speak."  And 
then  he  goes  on  to  speak  of  the  "oath" 
and  "promise"  of  God,  that  "we  might 
have  a  strong  consolatiouj  who  have  fied 
for  refuge  to  lay  hold  upon  the  hope  set 
before  us."  Thus,  upon  the  supposition 
that  the  apostle,  in  this  passage,  is  speak- 
ing of  the  true  Christian,  it  proves  nothing 
for  the  Arminian.  But  I  am  inclined  to 
believe,  that  he  is  speaking  of  those  who, 
in  common  language,  "have  sinned  away 
their  day  of  grace."  We  know  that  when 
a  sinner  has  been  visited  with  a  great  many 
warnings,  and  made  the  subject  of  the 
operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  warning  and 
convincing  of  sin,  if  he  wickedly  resist  all, 


PERSEVERANCE.  193 

there  is  a  point  at  which  the  forhearance 
and  mercy  of  God  will  cease,  and  he  will 
be  left  to  himself,  to  take  the  course  he 
has  deliberately  chosen.  And  when  God 
says  of  any  one,  "let  him  alone,"  he  is 
" given  up  to  his  own  heart's  lusts:"  for 
him  there  is  no  hope.  And  though  by 
the  word  enlightening  him,  and  the  Spir- 
it's striving,  he  has  been  brought  almost 
into  the  kingdom,  yet  he  "falls  back  into 
perdition."  JS^ow  it  seems  to  me,  that  the 
apostle  exactly  describes  the  case  of  such 
an  one  ;  and  all  he  says  may  characterize 
one  who  has  never  been  truly  converted. 
They  were  "once  enlightened."  So  are 
those  who  hear  the  gospel,  and  understand 
its  doctrines :  they  are  not  savingly  en- 
lightened, but  enjoy  the  light  of  the  gos- 
pel in  a  very  important  sense.  They  have 
"tasted  of  the  heavenly  gift."  This  is 
true  of  all  God's  creatures,  and  more  espe- 
cially of  those  who  enjoy  the  blessings  of 
the  gospel,  and  have,  to  any  extent,  felt 
the  operations  of  the  Spirit.  They  were 
"  made  partakers  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  So 
is  every  sinner,  who  has  been  seriously  im- 
pressed, in  view  of  his  sins  and  danger. 
They  have  "tasted  the  good  word  of  God." 
So  had  the  thorny  ground  and  stony  ground 
hearers,  in  the  parable  of  the  sower.  They 
have  tasted,  also,  of  the  "  powers  of  the 
17 


194  PERSEVERANCE. 

world  to  come."  It  is  difficult  to  determine 
what  is  the  precise  meaning  of  this  ex- 
pression. If  we  are  to  understand  by  it, 
hopes  of  heaven,  thousands  have  them  who 
are  not  true  Christians.  But  we  can  found 
no  argument  upon  a  conjectural  interpre- 
tation. Then,  as  any  and  all  these  bless- 
ings may  be  enjoyed  by  those  who  are  not 
true  Christians,  it  seems  to  me  the  most 
likely  the  apostle  is  speaking  of  such.  But 
be  that  as  it  may  ;  the  passage,  as  we  have 
seen,  plainly  contradicts  the  Arminian  doc- 
trine of  falling  from  grace,  and  being  again 
renewed.  There  are  other  similar  pas- 
sages, but  this,  I  believe,  is  considered  by 
them  as  the  most  conclusive  in  their  fa- 
vour, and  consequently,  the  doctrine  has 
very  little  support  in  the  Bible. 

Con. — But  are  there  not  commands  and 
exhortations,  in  diiferent  parts  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, addressed  to  true  Christians,  which 
seem  to  imply  that  they  are  in  danger  of 
being  lost,  if  they  indulge  in  sin  ? 

Min. — The  fact  that  God  will  preserve 
them,  does  not  supersede  the  use  of  all  le- 
gitimate means  to  secure  the  end.  His 
purpose  to  save  them,  embraces  all  the 
means  of  its  accomplishment.  He  saves 
by  his  word  and  ordinances,  and  a  diligent 
improvement  of  opportunities  and  privi- 
leges.    This  being  his  instituted  plan  of 


PERSEVERANCE.  195 

effecting  his  purpose,  exhortations  and  ad- 
monitions do  not  necessarily  imply  any  un- 
certainty as  to  the  issue.  They  only  point 
out  the  manner  and  order,  in  which  the 
design  will  he  accomplished.  Paul,  in  a 
storm  at  sea,  exhorts  the  sailors  to  remain  in 
the  ship,  and  work  for  their  lives,  and  tells 
the  centurion  if  they  went  away  they  would 
all  he  lost ;  but  will  any  one  say,  that  there 
was  in  reality  any  uncertainty  as  to  the  is- 
sue ?  God  had  promised  that  they  should 
be  saved,  and  his  character  was  at  stake. 
But  still,  the  exhortation  of  Paul  was  one 
principal  means  of  their  safety.  So  the  ex- 
hortations and  warnings  addressed  to 
Christians  are  made  the  means  of  their 
perseverance. 

But  let  us  now  look  at  some  of  the  plain 
declarations  of  the  Bible  on  this  subject. 
And  here  I  would  observe,  that  we  are  not 
compelled  to  resort  to  suppositions  and  in- 
ferences, but  have  plain  and  positive  state- 
ments, proving  as  clearly  as  language  can 
prove,  that  true  Christians  will  be  preserved 
to  complete  salvation.  Psa.  Ixxxix.  30 — 37 
— "  K  his  children  forsake  my  law,  and 
walk  not  in  my  judgments  :  if  they  break 
my  statutes,  and  keep  not  my  command- 
ments ;  then  will  I  visit  their  transgression 
with  the  rod,  and  their  iniquity  with 
stripes.     Nevertheless  my  loving  kindness 


196  PERSEVERANCE, 

will  I  not  utterly  take  from  him,  nor  suffer 
my  faithfulness  to  fail.  My  covenant  will 
I  not  break,  nor  alter  the  thing  that  is  gone 
out  of  my  lips.  Once  have  I  sworn  by  my 
holiness,  that  I  will  not  lie  unto  David. 
His  seed  shall  endure  for  ever,  and  his 
throne  as  the  sun  before  me.  It  shall  be 
established  for  ever  as  the  moon,  and  as  a 
faithful  witness  in  heaven."  In  this  psalm, 
as  in  many  others,  David  is  made  to  per- 
sonify Christ.  This  is  plain  from  verse 
27,  and  other  parts — ''  I  will  make  him  my 
first-born,  higher  than  the  kings  of  the 
earth."  In  the  19th  verse,  God  says — "I 
have  laid  help  upon  one  that  is  mighty," 
&c.  Indeed,  the  whole  scope  of  the  psalm 
shows  that  it  is  sp  to  be  understood.  Then, 
the  ''children"  that  are  spoken  of,  are  the 
spiritual  children  of  the  Saviour,  true  fol- 
lowers of  the  Lamb.  And  we  can  scarcely 
conceive  how  their  security  could  be  ex- 
pressed in  stronger  language.  Though 
they  shall  be  chastised  for  their  sins,  yet 
his  "lovino'  kindness"  will  never  be  with- 
drawn,  nor  shall  his  "  faithfulness  fail." 

I  might  here  properly  refer  to  a  melan* 
choly  instance  of  the  lengths  to  which  er- 
rorists  will  go,  to  support  a  favourite  the- 
ory. In  the  "Doctrinal  Tracts"  of  the 
Methodist  Church,  page  212,  the  TVTiter, 
in  endeavouring  to  evade  the  force  of  so 


PERSEVERANCE.  197 

plain  a  statement  of  the  doctrine  of  perse- 
verance, says,  that  the  covenant  spoken  of 
in  this  Ixxxix.  psahn,  "  relates  wholly  to 
David  and  his  seed."  He  then  misquotes 
the  35th  verse.  Instead  of  saying,  "  I  will 
not  lie  unto  David,"  he  quotes  it,  "I  will 
not  fail  David."  And  to  crown  all,  he 
says,  "  God  did  also  fail  David."  "  He  did 
alter  the  thing  that  had  gone  out  of  his 
lips,  and  yet  without  any  impeachment  of 
his  truth.  He  abhorred  and  forsook  his 
anointed.  He  did  break  the  covenant  of 
his  servant,"  &c.  The  only  reason  he 
gives  for  saying  that  God  broke  his  cove- 
nant is  that  it  was  conditional.  That  it 
was  not  conditional,  in  the  sense  which  he 
affirms,  I  will  not  now  stay  to  prove ;  for 
even  if  it  were,  it  is  still  both  false  and  im- 
pious to  say,  that  "  God  broke  his  cove- 
nant, and  altered  the  thing  that  had  gone 
out  of  his  lips."  When  a  WT^-iter  thus 
speaks  of  God,  and  misquotes  his  word, 
we  need  not  be  surprised  at  all  his  misrep- 
resentations of  Calvinism. 

But  let  us  see  what  Christ  himself  says 
on  the  doctrine  of  perseverance.  Matt, 
xxiv.  24 — "  There  shall  arise  false  Christs, 
and  false  prophets,  and  shall  show  great 
signs  and  wonders  ;  insomuch  that,  if  it 
were  possible,  they  shall  deceive  the  very 
elect."  John  x.  27—29—''  My  sheep  hear 
17* 


198  PERSEVERANCE. 

my  voice,  and  I  know  them,"  (will  he  ever 
say  he  "  never  knew"  them  ?)  "  and  they 
follow  me  :  and  I  give  unto  them  eternal 
life ;  and  they  shall  never  perish,  neither 
shall  any  man  pluck  them  out  of  my  hand. 
My  Father,  which  gave  them  me,  is  greater 
than  all ;  and  no  man  is  able  to  pluck  them 
out  of  my  Father's  hand."  Does  not  this 
look  as  if  the  Saviour  meant  to  teach  that 
believers  are  secure  in  the  hands  of  God  ? 
But  let  us  hear  Paul.  Rom.  viii.  35 — 39 
— "  Who  shall  separate  us  from  the  love 
of  Christ  ?  Shall  tribulation,  or  distress, 
or  persecution,  or  famine,  or  nakedness,  or 
peril,  or  sword  ?  *  *  ^ay,  in  all  these 
things  we  are  more  than  conquerors, 
through  him  that  loved  us.  For  I  am  per- 
suaded, that  neither  death,  nor  life,  nor 
angels,  nor  principalities,  nor  powers, 
nor  things  present,  nor  things  to  come, 
nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor  any  other 
creature,  shall  be  able  to  separate  us  from 
the  love  of  God,  which  is  Christ  Jesus  our 
Lord."  I  cannot  conceive  how  the  doc- 
trine could  be  stated  in  language  more 
plain  and  forcible.  I  shall  only  add  one  pas- 
sage more,  though  I  might  add  scores.  1 
Pet.  i.  5 — "Kept  by  the  power  of  God, 
through  faith,  unto  salvation."  Here  the 
whole  doctrine  of  perseverance,  through 
grace,  faith,  and  holiness,  is  stated  in  a 
manner  both  concise  and  beautiful. 


PERSEVERANCE.  199 

If  we  needed  arguments  from  inference 
and  supposition,  we  have  them,  too,  in 
abundance.  One,  that  seems  to  me  incon- 
trovertible, is  drawn  from  the  intercession 
of  Christ.  His  prayer  is — "  Holy  Father, 
keep  through  thine  own  name,  those  whom 
thou  hast  given  me."  "Will  the  Father 
keep  them,  or  deliver  them  over  to  Satan  ? 
We  may  leave  the  Arminian  to  answer. 

Other  inferential  proofs,  equally  conclu- 
sive, might  be  given,  but  I  think  I  have 
said  enough  to  show  3'ou,  that  our  Confes- 
sion of  Faith  speaks  the  language  of  the 
Bible,  and  of  common  sense,  when  it  says, 
chap.  xvii.  sec.  1 — ^'  The}-  whom  God  hath 
accepted  in  his  Beloved,  effectually  called 
and  sanctified  by  his  Spirit,  can  neither  to- 
tally, nor  finally,  fall  away  from  the  state 
of  grace,  but  shall  certainly  persevere  there- 
in to  the  end,  and  be  eternallv  saved." 


DIALOGUE  XVn. 

ADMISSION    TO   THE   CHURCH. 

Convert. — ^During  the  progress  of  our  se- 
veral conversations,  on  the  different  points 
of  religious  truth  which  we  have  consi- 
dered, my  mind  has  not  only  been  re- 
lieved, but  edified,  and  my  desire  to  unite 
with  some  evangelical  church  has  been  in- 
creased. M}^  preferences  for  the  Presby- 
terian Church  have  also  become  stronger ; 
but,  still,  with  my  limited  knowledge,  I  do 
not  know  that  I  am  prepared  to  say :  "  I 
sincerely  receive  and  adopt  the  Confession 
of  Faith,  as  containing  the  system  of  doc- 
trines taught  in  the  Holy  Scriptures." 
My  hesitancy  does  not  arise  from  any  op- 
position I  have  to  any  of  its  doctrines,  but 
from  my  limited  acquaintance  with  it.  I 
have  not,  until  recently,  made  it  a  study, 
and  have  not  been  able  to  compare  it,  in 
all  its  parts,  with  the  Bible,  so  as  to  adopt 
it  intelligently.  And,  I  suppose,  to  adopt 
it  "sincerely,"  means  both  a  cordial  and 
intelligent  reception  of  all  it  teaches,  as  be- 
ing in  accordance  with  the  Bible.  And 
(200) 


ADMISSION  TO  THE  CHURCH.     201 

this,  I  have  understood,  you  require  of  all 
your  members. 

Minister. — While  you  have  had  a  mis- 
representation of  our  doctrines,  you  have 
also  had  a  false  representation  of  our  prac- 
tice. I  know  it  is  common  with  those 
who  wish  to  frighten  young  converts  from 
joining  our  church,  to  tell  them  that  they 
must  have  the  Confession  of  Faith 
"crammed  down  their  throats."  But  our 
form  of  government  does  not  require  it, 
nor  have  I  ever  known  a  single  instance 
in  which  it  has  been  required  by  any  one 
of  our  church  officers,  that  the  members 
of  the  church  should  all  adopt  the  Confes- 
sion of  Faith.  It  is  required  of  all  our 
church  officers,  but  not  of  its  members.  It 
is  not  supposable,  that  all  whom  we  might, 
in  other  respects,  consistently  receive  to 
the  church,  are  so  well  acquainted  with  all 
our  doctrines,  as  to  adopt  them  intelligent- 
ly. Some  who  do  not  oppose  them,  are 
sometimes  at  a  loss  to  understand  them. 
It  is  common,  in  some  sections  of  our 
church,  to  require  those  who  unite  with 
•QS,  to  receive  and  adopt  the  Confession  of 
Faith,  ^'  as  far  as  they  are  acquainted  with 
it,  and  understand  it ;"  but  I  have  never 
known  any  one  go  further. 

Con. — I  could  willingly  and  cheerfully 
do  that,  and  cannot  see  any  reasonable  ob- 


202  ADMISSION  TO  THE   CHURCH. 

jection  to  such  a  course.  But  does  the 
Confession  of  Faith  contain  no  general  re- 
quirement on  the  subject? 

Min. — The  "Directory  for  Worship," 
chap.  9,  sec.  3,  requires,  that  "those  who 
are  to  be  admitted  to  sealing  ordinances 
shall  be  examined  as  to  their  knowledge 
and  piety."  And  sec.  4  requires,  that 
those  who,  when  uniting  with  the  church, 
receive  the  ordinance  of  baptism,  shall, 
"  in  ordinary  cases,  make  a  public  profes- 
sion of  their  faith  in  the  presence  of  the 
congregation."  Thus,  "knowledge  and 
piety"  are  required  of  all,  and  a  "public 
profession  of  their  faith,"  of  those  who,  at 
the  time,  receive  the  ordinance  of  baptism. 
How  far  the  examination,  as  to  knowledge 
and  piety,  shall  be  extended,  and  what 
may  be  comprised  in  the  public  profession 
of  faith,  required  of  others,  is  left  to  each 
church  session,  to  decide  according  to  cir- 
cumstances. Thus,  while  piety  and 
knowledge  to  some  extent,  are  made  in- 
dispensable requisites  to  membership  in 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  other  things, 
though  desirable,  are  not  absolutely  re- 
quired. If  a  church  session  have  satisfac- 
tory evidence  that  any  one  is  a  true  child 
of  God,  and  has  knowledge  of  God  and  di- 
vine things,  to  such  an  extent,  that  he  can 
profitably  participate   in   the  sealing  or- 


ADMISSION  TO   THE   CHURCH.  203 

dinances  of  the  cliurcli,  it  is  all  they  re- 
quire. 

Con. — "What  is  the  common  practice  of 
church  sessions  in  such  cases  ? 

Min, — The  candidate  for  admission  is 
examined  on  some  of  the  leading  points  of 
Christian  experience,  upon  which,  any  one 
who  has  the  exercise  of  a  true  Christian, 
can  easily  give  satisfaction.  In  connec- 
tion with  this,  he  is  also  examined  on  some 
of  the  leading  doctrines  of  Christianity, 
especially,  as  connected  with  his  expe- 
rience. Thus,  the  ground  of  his  hope  is 
ascertained,  and  his  faith  in  Christ  is  ex- 
hibited, which  will  qualif)'  him  for  a  mem- 
ber of  the  visible  church ;  as,  by  regenera- 
tion and  faith,  he  has  been  made  a  mem- 
ber of  the  body  of  Christ. 

This  course  must  commend  itself  to  eve- 
ry reflecting  mind,  as  the  safest,  both  for 
the  church  and  those  ^^ho  wish  to  become 
its  members.  A  person  cannot  profitably 
participate  in  the  sealing  ordinances  of 
the  church,  unless  he  have  knowledge  to 
discern  the  spiritual  blessings  which  they 
represent,  ^o  one  can  rightly  commemo- 
rate the  Saviour,  in  the  ordinance  of  the 
supper,  if  he  have  not  faith  and  love.  Nei- 
ther Avould  he  make  a  suitable  member  of 
the  church.  All  such  members  are  an  in- 
jury to  the  church,  and  their  profession  is 
an  injuiy  to  themselves.      To  keep  the 


204  ADMISSION   TO   THE   CHURCH. 

cliurcli  from  being  filled  with  such  mem- 
bers, the  framers  of  our  excellent  formula- 
ries made  piety  and  a  certain  degree  of 
knowledge,  prerequisites  to  membership. 
But  this  was  going  as  far  as  they  felt  war- 
ranted by  the  word  of  God. 

The  General  Assembly  of  our  church 
speak  particularly  of  this,  in  their  pastoral 
letter  of  1839:  "The  terms  of  Christian 
communion,  adopted  by  our  church,  have 
been  in  accordance  with  the  divine  com- 
mand, that  we  should  receive  one  another 
as  Christ  has  received  us.  AVe  have  ever 
admitted  to  our  communion  all  those  who, 
in  the  judgment  of  charity,  were  the  sin- 
cere disciples  of  Jesus  Christ.  If,  in  some 
instances,  stricter  terms  have  been  insisted 
upon — if  candidates  for  sealing  ordinances 
have  been  required  to  sign  pledges,  to 
make  profession  of  anything  more  than 
faith,  love,  and  obedience  to  Jesus  Christ, 
these  instances  have  been  few  and  unau- 
thorized, and,  therefore,  do  not  affect  the 
general  character  of  our  church.  We  ful- 
ly recognize  the  authority  of  the  command, 
*Him  that  is  weak  in  the  faith,  receive  ye, 
but  not  to  doubtful  disputations.'  The 
application  of  this  command,  however,  is 
entirely  confined  to  private  members  of 
the  church.  It  has  no  reference  to  the  ad- 
mission of  men  to  ofiices  in  the  chui'ch," 


ADMISSION  TO  THE  CHURCH.     205 

&c.  (Minutes  of  tlie  General  Assembly 
for  1839,  p.  183.) 

When  sucli  has  alwa^'s  been  the  liberal 
policy  of  our  church,  you  can  perceive  how 
much  truth  and  honesty  belong  to  those, 
who  represent  us  as  requiring  all  our  mem- 
bers, to  "  swallow  the  Confession  of  Faith.'* 

Con. — But  what  is  the  reason  of  the  dis- 
tinction made  between  the  officers  and 
members  of  the  church  ? 

Min. — The  officers  are  entrusted  with 
the  management  of  all  the  concerns  of  the 
church ;  and  it  is  a  plain  dictate  of  com- 
mon sense,  as  well  as  of  the  Bible,  that 
they  should  be  men,  who  are  not  only  well 
instructed  in  the  doctrines  of  the  church, 
but  also  cordially  receive  them.  While 
the  Bible  commands  us  to  stretch  the 
broad  wing  of  Christian  charity  over  all 
who  give  evidence  of  being  true  discij)les 
of  Christ,  and  to  receive  them  to  our 
Christian  fellowship,  it  is  very  pointed  in 
its  directions  respecting  the  qualifications 
of  all  who  bear  rule  in  the  house  of  God. 
They  must  not  be  "  novices."  They  must 
"hold  fast  the  form  of  sound  words." — 2 
Tim.  i.  13.  "Holding  fast  the  faithful 
word,  as  he  hath  been  taught,  that  he  may 
be  able  by  sound  doctrine,  both  to  exhort 
and  to  convince  the  gainsayers." — Tit.  i. 
9.  ".Holding  the  mysterv  of  the  faith  in 
18 


206  ADMISSION  TO   THE   CHUKCH. 

a  pure  conscience." — 1  Tim.  iii.  9.  This 
is  in  exact  accordance  with  the  require- 
ment of  our  Confession,  that  all  our  offi- 
cers should  "sincerely  receive  and  adopt" 
our  form  of  sound  words.  I  might  men- 
tion many  other  passages  hearing  upon  the 
Fame  point,  hut  it  is  not  necessary,  as  the 
importance  of  having  all  our  officers,  cor- 
dially and  intelligently,  to  embrace  the 
same  system  of  faith,  will  be  ohvious,  when 
you  look  at  their  stations  and  duties.  Our 
church,  in  some  sections,  for  a  time,  pur- 
sued a  different  policy,  but  it  had  nearly 
proved  her  ruin. 

Con. — But  is  true  piety  made  an  indis- 
pensable requisite,  in  all  who  wish  to  unite 
with  the  church  ? 

Min. — So  far  as  the  true  state  of  any 
one  can  he  ascertained,  it  is.  Xo  one  can 
search  the  heart,  but  there  are  some  points 
in  Christian  experience,  from  which,  in 
general,  a  correct  judgment  may  be  form- 
ed. And  if,  upon  examination,  any  one 
gives  satisfactory  evidence,  that  he  has  not 
experienced  a  change  of  heart,  he  is  uni- 
formly rejected. 

Con. — But  would  it  not  he  hetter  to  re- 
ceive every  one  who  applies?  Is  not  the 
prospect  of  conversion  greater  in  the 
church,  than  out  of  it  ? 

Min. — If  the  means  of  grace  were  acces- 


ADMISSION  TO   THE   CHURCH.  207 

sible  only  to  church  members,  there  would 
be  some  reason  for  sinners  to  seek  admis- 
sion. But  that  is  not  the  case.  All  the 
array  of  means  of  God's  appointment,  for 
the  conversion  of  sinners,  is  intended  for, 
and  brought  to  bear  upon,  those  who  are 
out  of  the  church.  Indeed,  when  an  un- 
converted sinner  joins  the  church,  he  ra- 
ther puts  himself  out  of  the  way  of  many 
of  those  means  of  grace,  which  are  inten- 
ded for  his  benefit.  Of  what  use,  then,  is 
a  mere  nominal  connection  with  the 
church?  A  voluntary  connection  with 
the  church,  was  by  Christ  and  the  apostles 
considered  a  profession  of  religion,  and  has 
been  so  ever  since.  Indeed,  if  it  were  not 
so,  there  would  be  no  distinction  between 
the  church  and  the  world.  I  need  not 
stay  to  show  you  the  great  utility  and  im- 
portance of  having  the  people  of  God 
united  in  a  society,  distinct  and  separate 
from  the  world.  Anything  that  tends  to 
break  down  this  distinction,  is  ruinous  in 
all  its  tendencies.  And  there  is  no  better 
way  to  do  it,  than  to  have  crowds  of  uncon- 
verted sinners  gathered  into  the  church.  It 
is  not  only  thus  ruinous  to  the  church,  but 
it  is  injurious  to  the  world,  as  it  creates  the 
impression,  that  a  mere  profession  of  reli- 
gion is  all  tbat  is  necessary.  The  Presby- 
terian Church,  for  these  reasons,  has  al- 


208     ADMISSION  TO  THE  CHURCH. 

ways  made  true  piety  an  indispensable  re- 
quisite, in  all  her  members.  I  do  not  mean 
to  say,  that  all  her  members  are  true  dis- 
ciples. We  cannot,  with  all  our  care, 
judge  the  heart.  We  find  that  ministers 
and  elders,  even  in  the  days  of  the  apos- 
tles, were  sometimes  deceived  in  this  mat- 
ter ;  but  it  is  always  our  aim  to  guard  it 
as  well  as  we  can.  We  know  that  the 
higher  we  can  raise  the  church  above  the 
world,  the  more  clear  and  manifest  we  can 
make  the  distinction,  the  better  it  will  be, 
both  for  the  church  and  the  world. 

Con. — Your  practice  in  this  seems  to  me 
both  wise  and  scriptural.  It  is  certainly  a 
happy  I'cflection  to  any  church  member, 
that  all  his  fellow-members  have  given  sa- 
tisfactory evidence  to  its  officers,  that  they 
are  true  disciples  of  Christ.  But  there 
are  some  other  denominations  who  pursue 
a  different  course.  I  have  heard  ministers 
proclaim  from  the  pulpit,  that  the  proper 
course  was,  "first  to  join  the  church,  and 
then  seek  religion,"  that  "the  church  was 
the  best  place  to  get  religion,"  &c.  And 
I  myself,  was  often  urged  to  join  their 
church,  when  they  knew,  as  well  as  my- 
self, that  I  had  no  change  of  heart,  but 
was  fighting  against  God,  in  all  his  love. 

Min. — I  know  that  has  become  mourn- 
fully common.     Many  have  been  thus  per- 


ADMISSION   TO   THE   CHURCH.  209 

Buaded,  that  they  will  gain  God's  favour  by 
insulting  him.  If  the  church  be  not  a  re- 
ligious society,  what  is  it  ?  It  is  called  the 
^'household  of  the  faithful,  the  body  of 
Christ,"  &c.  And  for  any  one  to  unite 
wdth  it,  who  does  not  belong  to  Christ,  is 
making  a  false  profession,  and  "lying  both 
to  God  and  man."  It  would  be  strange, 
indeed,  if  this  were  the  way  to  secure  the 
favour  of  the  great  Head  of  the  Church. 

The  apostles  pursued  a  very  different 
course.  They  received  to  the  church  vast 
numbers,  but  we  are  told  it  was  "  of  such 
as  should  be  saved." — Acts  ii.  47.  And 
we  know,  that  the  character  of  the  church 
for  piety,  stood  so  high,  that  it  was  a  living 
reproof  to  the  world.  So  much  so,  that 
w^e  are  told.  Acts  v.  13,  that  "  of  the  rest 
durst  no  man  join  himself  to  them,  but 
the  people  magnified  them."  What  a  com- 
mentary is  this  upon  the  practice  of  those 
who  spend  their  zeal  ingathering  crowds  of 
sinners,  of  all  classes,  into  the  church, 
seemingly  more  anxious  that  they  should 
give  their  names  to  the  church  roll,  than 
their  hearts  to  God. 

Con. — But  would  it  not  be  better  that, 
in  the  examination  of  candidates,  for  ad- 
mission to  the  church,  it  should  be  con- 
ducted by  the  whole  church,  instead  of  its 
officers  merely  ?  The  whole  church  would 
18* 


210  ADMISSION  TO   THE   CHURCH. 

then  not  onlv  have  the  benefit  of  the  can- 
didate's  experience,  if  he  be  a  true  child  of 
God,  but  it  might  be  more  satisfactory,  also, 
that  each  member  should  hear  and  decide 
for  himself. 

Min. — In  some  particular  and  remarkable 
cases  of  conversion,  it  would,  no  doubt,  be 
edifying  and  useful  for  all  the  members 
of  the  church  to  hear  the  candidate  tell 
what  God  has  done  for  him.  But  particu- 
lar cases  should  never  be  made  the  ground 
of  a  general  rule;  and,  I  think,  the  expe- 
rience of  all  churches  who  receive  their 
members  by  a  profession  of  their  faith,  as 
we  do,  will  testify,  that,  as  a  general  rule, 
it  is  more  proper  and  expedient,  to  have  it 
done  by  the  officers  of  the  church.  But 
this  involves  one  of  the  principal  features 
of  our  form  of  church  government,  for 
which,  Ave  believe,  we  have  scriptural  au- 
thority and  precedent.  And  a  full  and  sa- 
tisfactory consideration  of  this  subject, 
would  require  more  time  than  we  can  now 
devote  to  it.  But  if  it  would  be  gratify- 
ing to  you,  we  will  consider  it  at  some  fu- 
ture time. 

Con. — I  have  never  had  any  difficulty 
on  the  score  of  church  government.  The 
Presbyterian  form  has  always  struck  me 
as  wise  and  orderly,  though  my  preferences 
for  it  are  not  the  result  of  any  examination 


ADMISSION   TO   THE   CHURCH.  211 

of  its  principles.  I  would,  therefore,  be  glad 
to  embrace  any  opportunity  of  examining 
it  more  particularly. 

J\Iin. — Call  when  you  have  leisure,  and 
I  will  endeavour  to  explain  it  to  you,  in  the 
light  of  the  Bible  and  of  common  sense. 


/ 
DIALOGUE  XVIII. 

CHURCH   GOVERNMENT. 

Convert. — As  I  mentioned  to  you  at  our 
last  interview,  I  have  never  thought  much 
on  the  subject  of  church  government,  and 
have  looked  upon  it  as  a  matter  of  expe- 
diency merely ;  supposing  there  was  no  par- 
ticular form  authorized  in  the  Bible,  and 
consequently,  it  was  left  for  the  church  to 
adopt  any  form  of  government,  that  accord- 
ing to  circumstances  might  be  deemed  the 
most  expedient. 

Minister. — It  is  inconsistent  with  the  Sa- 
viour's love  to  the  church,  and  his  care 
over  her,  to  suppose,  that  in  a  matter  af- 
fecting her  interests  so  deeply,  he  would 
leave  it  entirely  to  the  management  of  hu- 
man wisdom.  There  are  certain  grand 
principles  which  the  Bible  gives  for  our  di- 
rection, in  all  our  duties  toward  our  fellow- 
men,  and  especially  as  members  of  the 
church,  in  our  duties  to  the  church  itself, 
and  to  each  other  individually.  And  in 
devising  means  for  her  peace,  prosperity, 
and  order,  and  labouring  for  her  and  our 
spiritual  welfare,  we  surely  cannot  suppose 
(212  ) 


CHURCH   GOVERNMENT.  213 

that  we  are  left  without  direction  by  our 
great  and  glorious  Head.  For  this  very 
purpose,  we  are  told,  that  he  instituted 
certain  orders  of  men  in  the  church,  with 
]3eculiar  offices  and  duties.  Eph.  iv.  11, 
12 — "He  gave  some  apostles,  and  some 
prophets,  and  some  evangelists,  and  some 
pastors  and  teachers,  for  the  perfecting  of 
the  saints,  for  the  work  of  the  ministry, 
for  the  edifying  of  the  body  of  Christ."  1 
Cor.  xii.  28 — "  God  hath  set  some  in  the 
church,  first  apostles,  secondarily  prophets, 
thirdly  teachers,  after  that  miracles,  then 
gifts  of  healing,  helps,  governments." 

Con. — But  some  of  these  orders  and  gifts 
do  not  now  exist,  and  may  we  not  conclude 
that  they  were  all  only  designed  to  con- 
tinue for  a  time  ? 

Min. — The  extraordinary  offices  and 
gifts  of  those  times  are  not  now  necessary, 
as  the  canon  of  revelation  is  complete ; 
but  as  "pastors,"  or  "teachers,  helps,  and 
governments,"  are  still  necessary  for  the 
church  in  every  age,  they  are  continued. 
But  I  mentioned  those  texts  to  show,  that 
the  officers  of  the  church  are  of  God's  ap- 
pointment. And  I  believe  all  evangelical 
denominations  of  Christians  admit  that 
some  officers  of  the  church,  with  peculiar 
duties,  are  divinely  appointed,  but  all  do 
not  agree  as  to  their  number,  rank,  and 


214  CHURCH   GOVERNMENT. 

duties,  and  the  manner  in  whicli  they 
should  be  appointed  by  the  church,  acting 
under  the  authority  of  her  Head  ;  and  the 
ditierence  of  practice  in  these  several  par- 
ticulars, constitutes  the  different  forms  of 
church  government  that  now  exist. 

Con. — How  many  different  forms  of 
church  government  are  there  now  found  ? 

Min. — They  may  all  be  classed  under 
four  general  heads,  viz.  Popery,  Episco- 
pacy, Independency,  and  Presbyterianism. 
There  are,  it  is  true,  several  varieties  un- 
der each  of  these  general  kinds,  but  they 
all  partake  of  the  essential  features  of  one 
or  other,  to  such  a  degree,  that  they  clearly 
belono;  to  that  class.  For  instance,  the 
Episcopal  and  Methodist  churches,  though 
differing  in  some  respects,  both  have  all 
the  essential  features  of  Episcopacy,  and 
are  in  fact  Episcopal  in  their  government. 
And  on  the  other  hand,  Presbyterians,  Re- 
formed Presbyterians,  Associate  Presbyte- 
rians, and  Associate-Reformed-Presbyteri- 
ans, with  the  Dutch  and  German-Reformed 
churches,  though  they  differ  in  some 
things  as  to  church  polity,  all  partake  of 
the  essential  features  of  Presbyterianism, 
and  are  in  fact  Presbyterian  in  their  gov- 
ernment. There  are  also  different  shades 
of  Independency  or  Congregationalism, 
some  more  and  some  less  purely  indepen- 
dent. 


CHURCH   GOVERNMENT.  215 

Con. — "What  are  the  grand,  distinguish- 
ing  features  of  Presbyterianism  ? 

Min. — Presbyterianism  is  a  spiritual  re- 
publicanism— the  grand  distinctive  feature 
of  which  is,  power  and  authority  invested 
in  those  who  are  chosen  by  the  people,  as 
their  representatives  or  agents,  to  rule  in 
their  name.  Thus  it  secures  all  the  ad- 
vantages of  an  aristocracy  without  any  of 
its  accompanying  evils,  and  forms  a  union 
of  all  the  different  branches  and  sections 
of  the  government,  more  complete  and 
binding  than  can  be  found  in  a  monarchy, 
because  it  is  a  union  by  consent  of  the 
people,  and  ratified  by  them,  in  their  capa- 
city of  members  of  the  community.  In 
Independency,  there  is  no  union  which 
binds  the  different  parts  together,  with  any 
thing  like  a  common  feeling  of  interest. 
Each  congregation  is  entirely  independent 
of  all  others,  and  acting  and  living  in  its 
separate  individual  capacity,  does  not  feel 
that  it  is  an  integral  part  of  a  common 
whole,  bound  by  the  same  system  of  laws 
and  regulations.  Aristocracy  and  mon- 
archy preserve  a  union  of  the  different 
parts,  but  they  deprive  the  people  of  their 
inalienable  rights,  of  choosing  their  own 
rulers,  &c.  Republicanism,  whilst  it  secures 
union,  leaves  the  people  in  full  possession 
of  all  their  rights  and  liberties.     It  leaves 


216  CHURCH   GOVERNMENT. 

all  free,  yet  briugs  all  under  law.     It  places 
none  above  law,  and  leaves  none  below  it. 

Con. — But  if  the  Presbyterian  form  of 
cburch  government  be  thus  based  upon 
republican  principles,  how  can  it  be  said 
to  be  taken  from  the  Bible  ?  Republi- 
canism is  of  recent  date,  as  I  believe  our 
own  o^overnment  is  the  onlv  one  that  has  ev- 
er  existed  upon  pure  republican  principles. 

Min. — The  close  resemblance  of  our  re- 
publican form  of  government  to  Presbyte- 
rianism,  shows  very  clearly  that  they  have 
the  same  origin,  but  it  proves  that  true  re- 
publicanism has  its  origin  in  Presbyterian- 
ism.  Any  one  who  traces  their  points  of 
similarity,  must  be  convinced  that  they 
have  the  same  oris^in.  Presbvtei'ianism 
has  its  several  official  departments,  legisla- 
tive, judicial,  and  executive,  with  this  dif- 
ference from  our  civil  government,  that  all 
these  duties  in  our  church  government,  be- 
long to  the  same  set  of  men.  Every  church 
court  sits  and  acts  in  these  several  capaci- 
ties, as  circumstances  require.  And  when 
any  church  court  is  about  to  sit  in  a  judi- 
cial capacity,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  Modera- 
tor, who  is  the  presiding  officer,  to  remind 
the  body  of  "their  high  character  as  judges 
of  a  court  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  solemn 
duty  in  which  they  are  about  to  act." — 
General  Rules  for  Judicatories,  39.     These 


CHURCH   GOVERNMENT.  217 

duties,  in  our  civil  government,  are  vested 
in  different  bodies,  but  they  all  exactly  cor- 
respond with  our  several  church  courts. 
Our  church  Session,  as  a  judicial  bod}',  cor- 
responds with  our  magistrate's  court,  the 
Presbytery  with  our  County  court,  the  Sy- 
nod with  our  State  court,  and  the  General 
Assembly  with  our  United  States  court. 
As  a  legislative  body,  the  church  Session 
corresponds  with  our  township  officers, 
called  in  some  States  trustees,  and  in  others 
by  different  names.  They  meet,  consult, 
devise  measures,  and  make  regulations  for 
the  general  welfare  of  those  who  have  cho- 
sen them  to  their  office.  The  Presbytery 
corresponds  with  our  board  of  County  Com- 
missioners, the  Synod  with  our  State  Le- 
gislature, and  the  General  Assembly  with 
the  Congress  of  the  United  States.  With 
each  body,  also,  from  the  lowest  to  the 
highest,  are  the  several  executive  officers, 
with  whom  the  similarity  is  equally  strik- 


ing. 


Add  to  this,  the  grand  principle  of  dele- 
gated power  in  a  representative  system, 
which  forms  the  basis  of  both  our  civil  and 
church  governments,  and  the  similarity  is 
still  more  striking.  Other  points  of  simi- 
larity might  be  noticed,  but  this  is  suffi- 
cient to  show  any  one,  that  one  is  modeled 
19 


218  CHURCH   GOVERNMENT. 

after  the  other,  preserving  all  the  grand 
features  and  outlines  entire. 

Con. — They  must  have  had  the  same  ori- 
gin, but  how  do  we  know  that  Presbyteri- 
anism  is  the  original,  and  republicanism 
the  model  ? 

Min. — From  simple  historical  facts.  We 
know  that  Presbyterianism  existed,  in  all 
its  purity,  long  before  our  government  was 
thought  of,  and  even  before  America  was 
discovered.  We  know  that  it  was  perse- 
cution for  Presbyterian  principles,  that 
drove  our  forefathers  to  this  continent. 
Por  asserting  their  inalienable  rights,  and, 
in  some  instances,  endeavouring  to  infuse 
republican  principles  into  the  governments 
of  Europe,  they  were  persecuted,  and  fled 
to  this  country,  bringing  their  principles 
with  them.  They  had  learned  them  from 
the  Bible,  and  prized  them  dearer  than 
life.  These  principles  formed  the  basis  of 
all  their  colonial  governments,  and  when 
they  were  infringed  upon  by  the  mother 
country,  they  maintained  them  with  their 
blood.  The  same  grand  principles  of  civil 
and  religious  liberty,  for  which  they  were 
persecuted,  and  fled  to  this  country,  v/ere 
those  which  appeared  conspicuous  in  the 
contest,  and  for  which  they  contended  in 
the  arduous  struff^le.  When  their  liber- 
ties  were  achieved,  and  the  several  colonial 


CHURCH   GOVERNMENT.  219 

governments  fomied  one  grand  confede- 
racy, the  same  principles  were  embodied 
in  the  federal  constitution.  And  there 
they  stand,  giving  us  more  consistent  li- 
berty, both  civil  and  religious,  than  has 
ever  been  enjoyed  by  any  nation  under 
heaven,  except,  perhaps,  that  found  in  the 
theocracy  of  the  Jews.  The  secret  of  our 
success  as  a  republic  is,  that  we  have  a  go- 
vernment, whose  principles  are  the  re- 
publicanism of  the  Bible,  which  is  only 
another  name  for  Presbyterianism.  To 
Presbyterianism,  then,  as  derived  from  the 
Bible,  we  are  indebted  for  our  excellent 
form  of  government.  The  sound  of  liber- 
ty— civil  and  religious  liberty — is  delight- 
ful ;  but  it  is  an  exotic  in  this  dark  world, 
and  we  should  never  forget,  that  those 
principles,  in  the  successful  operation  of 
which  we  rejoice,  are  drawn  from  the  trea- 
sure of  God's  word,  which  gives  to  us,  un- 
der all  circumstances,  perfect  rules  of  life. 
Con. — But  where  do  we  find  in  the  Bi- 
ble, any  set  of  laws  or  regulations,  de- 
signed for  civil  governments  ?  The  ac- 
counts we  have  of  civil  governments,  are 
mostly  of  monarchies ;  and,  in  the  N'ew 
Testament  times,  Christians  were  subjects 
of  the  despotic  governments  then  in  exist- 
ence. I  was  not  aware  that  republicanism, 
in  any  shape,  was  taught  in  the  Bible. 


220  CHURCH   GOVERNMENT. 

3Iin. — I  know  it  is  too  generally  tliought 
that  the  Bible  is  adverse  to  human  liberty. 
But  I  think  I  shall  be  able  to  show  you, 
that  the  governments  established  by  God, 
whether  of  Church  or  State,  were  all 
founded  upon  the  same  grand  principles 
of  Republicanism  and  Bresbyterianism, 
which  characterize  ours.  But  as  this  in- 
vestigation would  require  more  time  than 
we  can  devote  to  it  at  present,  we  will  de- 
fer it  until  another  time. 


DIALOGUE  XIX. 


BIBLE   REPUBLICANISM. 


Convert — Did  I  understand  you  as  say- 
ing, at  our  last  interview,  that,  according 
to  Presbyterianism,  all  the  authority  and 
power  of  the  officers  of  the  church  were 
derived  from  the  people  ?  You  did  not, 
I  believe,  say  so  in  words,  but  I  under- 
stood it  as  one  of  the  principles  of  the  sys- 
tem, that  the  power  to  rule  must  come 
from  the  people;  and  yet  I  cannot  re- 
concile that  wdth  the  Bible  and  the  Con- 
fession of  Faith,  both  of  which  acknow- 
ledge Christ  as  the  fountain  of  all  au- 
thority. 

Minister. — The  power  and  authority 
which  belong  to  the  office,  are  derived 
from  Christ.  All  church  officers  hold  their 
commission  from  him.  But  the  authority 
to  exercise  that  power,  inherent  in  their  re- 
spective offices,  over  any  congregation,  de- 
pends on  the  will  of  the  people.  If  I  am 
ordained  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  I  have 
all  the  rights  and  privileges  attached  to 
that  office,  by  the  great  Head  of  the 
19*  (221) 


222  BIBLE  REPUBLICANISM. 

church ;  but  I  have  no  authority  over  any 
congregation  that  does  not  choose  me  as 
their  pastor,  or  that  does  not  voluntarily 
subject  itself  to  the  Presbytery  of  which 
I  am  a  member.  The  same  is  true  of  el- 
ders; and  thus,  ministers  and  elders,  are 
the  elected  representatives  of  the  people, 
the  rulers  whom  they  have  voluntarily 
chosen.  The  people  choose  the  persons 
whom  they  wish  to  bear  rule  over  them, 
and  then  look  to  the  Head  of  the  church 
to  clothe  them  with  the  authority  requisite 
to  constitute  them  their  rulers.  Thus,  the 
authority  of  Christ,  as  Head  of  the  church, 
and  the  grand  principle  of  representation, 
are  both  acknowledged  and  preserved  in 
perfect  harmony.  And  in  this  too,  you 
can  see  another  point  in  which  republican- 
ism shows  its  Bible  origin.  The  people, 
in  a  republican  government,  elect  their 
officers,  but  they  do  not  commission  them, 
or  induct  them  into  office.  That  must  be 
done  by  the  proper  authorities.  Election 
is  not  considered  as,  in  itself,  vesting  men 
with  the  peculiar  rights  and  privileges  be- 
longing to  the  office  to  which  they  are 
elected.  But  when  elected  they  are,  by 
the  constituted  authorities  of  the  govern- 
ment, clothed  with  the  proper  authority, 
to  act  as  the  representatives  of  those  by 
whom  they  are  elected,  and  are  invested 


BIBLE   REPUBLICANISM.  223 

with  the  rights  and  privileges  belonging  to 
their  respective  offices. 

Con. — I  perceive  the  resemblance  is 
striking ;  but  that  our  form  of  civil  gov- 
ernment is  derived  from  the  Bible,  is  a 
fact,  I  think,  very  little  regarded,  if  known, 
or  thought  of  at  all,  by  the  generality  of 
men. 

Min. — I  know  it  is  very  little  regarded, 
but  still  the  facts  are  conclusive  proof,  that 
such  is  the  case.  The  Bible  gives  us  the 
first  pattern  of  civil  liberty  and  equality, 
that  ever  existed  on  republican  principles. 
The  pride  and  selfishness  of  man  naturally 
tend  to  the  extremes  of  power  and  wealth 
on  the  one  hand,  and  oppression  and  pov- 
erty on  the  other.  But  that  happy  medi- 
um, where  all  are  free  and  independent, 
yet  all  under  law,  none  but  God  knew  how 
to  secure.  And  in  the  examples  he  has 
given  us  in  his  word,  we  have  a  light  to 
guide  us,  which  stands  out  as  a  beacon  amid 
the  dark  conflicting  elements  of  all  other 
systems.  I  wish  to  direct  your  attention 
in  the  first  place,  very  briefly,  to  the  civil 
economy  of  the  Jews,  as  established  by 
God,  when  he  brought  them  ft^om  Egyptian 
bondage,  and  gave  them  civil  and  religious 
freedom.  The  different  tribes  formed  one 
grand  confederacy,  similar  to  ours,  each 
one  being  sovereign  in  itself,  for  all  the 


224  BIBLE  KEPUBLICANISM. 

purposes  of  self-government.  The  doc- 
trine of  appeals,  from  the  lower  courts  to 
the  higher,  is  distinctly  laid  down ;  their 
highest  court  of  appeal  being  the  Sanhe- 
drim, or  seventy,  corresponding  to  our  fed- 
eral court.  The  election  of  their  rulers, 
was  upon  republican  principles.  Moses 
issues  to  them  a  proclamation :  "  Take  ye 
wise  men  and  understanding,  and  known 
among  your  tribes,  and  I  will  make  them 
rulers  over  you,"  &c.  That  is,  you  elect, 
and  I  will  commission,  to  their  respective 
offices.  Moses  was  their  ci\dl  ruler,  or 
president,  first  chosen  by  God  himself,  and 
afterwards  by  the  common  consent  of  the 
people.  We  do  not  read  that  there  was  a 
formal  ratification  of  his  appointment,  as 
there  was  in  the  case  of  Joshua,  his  succes- 
sor. T7e  find  them  saying  to  Joshua,  "  All 
that  thou  commandest  us,  we  will  do.  * 
*  *  According  as  we  hearkened  unto 
Moses,  so  will  we  hearken  unto  thee,"  &c. 
— Josh  i.  16,  17.  The  power  of  their  civil 
rulers  was  very  limited ;  and  they  were 
distinctly  told,  that  even  if  they  should 
choose  a  king  he  must  not  consider  him- 
self in  the  light  of  a  monarch.  He  must 
be  chosen  from  among  the  people.  He 
must  not  "multiply  horses  to  himself." 
He  must  not  "  multiply  to  himself  silver 
and  gold,"  &c.     He  must  be  under  the  law 


BIBLE  REPUBLICANISM.  225 

equally  with  the  rest.  His  heart  must  not 
be  "lifted  up  above  his  brethren,"  &c. — 
Deut  xvii.  16 — 20.  Indeed,  it  is  doubtftil 
whether  their  constitution  and  government 
could  have  been  so  perfectly  free,  and  yet 
efficient,  had  it  not  been  that  God  himself 
was,  for  four  hundred  years,  the  suiDreme 
executive.  When  they  desired  a  king, 
they  were  distinctly  reproved  for  their  folly, 
and  warned  of  the  encroachment  on  per- 
sonal and  public  liberty,  which  would  be 
the  consequence.  But  even  then,  though, 
at  their  request,  the  executive  authority 
was  placed  in  the  hands  of  a  king,  the  re- 
publican form  of  government  was  not 
changed. 

Con. — But  how  could  a  republican  form 
of  government  exist  under  a  king  ? 

Min. — The  person  who  was  nominated 
for  their  king  by  God,  was  accepted  by  the 
people  by  acclamation ;  and  though  called 
a  king,  and  invested  with  executive  au- 
thority, was,  in  fact,  nothing  more  at  first, 
than  commander-in-chief  of  a  republic.  His 
power  and  authority  were  limited,  and  regu- 
lated by  a  covenant  or  constitution,  called 
"the  manner  of  the  kingdom,"  which  was 
distinctly  declared  to  the  people ;  and,  being 
ratified  by  them,  was  recorded  in  the  stat- 
ute book,  and  preserved  as  the  palladium 
of  their  rights.  "  Samuel  wrote  it  in  a  book, 


226  BIBLE   REPUBLICANISM. 

and  laid  it  up  before  the  Lord." — 1  Sam. 
X.  25.  We  find  the  popular  side  of  the 
government  was  so  completely  predomi- 
nant, that  even  David  did  not  dare  openly 
to  take  the  life  of  the  lowest  of  his  sub- 
j  ects,  or  even  to  punish  ofiienders.  When 
Uriah  stood  in  his  way,  he  had  to  resort  to 
stratagem ;  and  when  Joab  deserved  death, 
he  dare  not  execute  it  himself.  "  These 
sons  of  Zeruiah,"  he  says, ''  are  too  hard  for 
me."  Their  influence  was  so  great,  that 
he  found  it  impossible  to  have  them  con- 
demned by  the  proper  authorities,  without 
which  he  dare  not  proceed  against  them. 
These  principles,  however,  were  afterwards 
lost  sight  of,  the  people  became  corrupt, 
and  their  kings  became  despots ;  but  for 
four  hundred  years,  they  enjoyed  as  much 
freedom  in  their  government,  as  is  consist- 
ent with  efficiency,  in  any  age  that  the 
world  has  yet  seen,  or  probably  will  see. 

Another  excellent  feature  of  this  repub- 
lican system,  was  the  equal  distribution  of 
their  land,  by  which  every  adult  male  was 
a  landholder — the  veritable  owner  of  the 
soil  on  which  he  lived.  There  were  no  en- 
tailed estates,  no  hereditary  nobility.  Ev- 
ery family  possessed  its  own  land.  This 
simple  principle  of  ownership,  in  fee-sim- 
ple, of  the  soil,  is  one  of  vast  importance 
to  a  republican  government.     Indeed,  it 


BIBLE   REPUBLICANISM.  227 

would  seem  to  be  one  of  its  essential  fea- 
tures. It  encourages  industry,  inculcates 
patriotism,  and  is  one  of  the  main  springs 
of  civil  liberty.  Provision  was  made,  in 
the  laws  given  by  God  to  Moses,  for  the 
perpetual  preservation  of  this  principle,  so 
long  as  their  constitution  was  held  sacred. 
If,  through  misfortune,  or  other  contin- 
gencies, any  family  was  compelled  to  sell 
their  land,  it  could  not  be  alienated  from 
the  family  longer  than  the  year  of  jubilee. 
So  that  every  fifty  years  the  land  reverted 
back  to  its  original  owners,  in  the  regular 
line  of  descent.  The  law  respecting  the 
ownership  of  land,  is  very  minutely  laid 
down  in  the  xxv.  chapter  of  Leviticus, 
which,  if  you  have  never  examined  partic- 
ularly, will  amply  repay  you  for  an  attentive 
perusal.  It  shows  divine  wisdom,  in  its 
excellent  provisions.  A  man  by  careless- 
ness, or  wickedness,  might  deprive  him- 
self of  all  the  benefits  arising  from  owner- 
ship in  land ;  but  no  vice,  or  slothfulness, 
or  misfortune,  could  deprive  his  family  of 
their  portion  of  the  soil. 

In  the  setting  apart  of  the  tribe  of  Levi 
as  public  instructors,  there  was  provision 
made  for  a  general  system  of  education, 
which  resulted  most  happily,  in  raising  the 
whole  mass  of  the  people,  to  a  degree  of 
refinement  and  intelligence,  then  not 
equalled  in  the  world. 


228  BIBLE  REPUBLICANISM.  ' 

Con. — But  where  do  we  find,  in  the  laws 
given  by  God  to  Moses,  anything  like  a 
civil  constitution,  or  a  S3'stem  of  laws  ex- 
pressly designed  for  their  ci^dl  economy  ? 

Min. — In  those  laws  we  find  three 
classes.  First,  those  which  are  called 
moral,  which  are  obligatory  on  all  men, 
under  all  circumstances,  universally  and 
perpetually.  Second,  those  which  are 
called  ceremonial,  which  prescribe  the 
rites  and  forms  of  the  Jewish  worship. 
Third,  those  which  are  called  judicial, 
which  relate  entirely  to  their  civil  econo- 
my, and  in  which  we  find  all  the  principles 
which  I  have  mentioned  as  the  prominent 
features  of  republicanism,  standing  out 
conspicuously.  They  preserve,  in  the 
hands  of  the  people,  as  much  personal 
liberty  as  ever  was,  or  perhaps  can  be, 
combined  with  a  permanent  and  efficient 
national  government.  These  laws,  more- 
over, were  formally  adopted  by  the  people. 
When  Moses  rehearsed  to  them  the  words 
of  God,  they  answered  with  one  unani- 
mous voice — "All  the  words  which  the 
Lord  hath  said,  we  will  do."  Thus  their 
laws,  their  civil  constitution,  were  accepted 
and  adopted.  This  adoption  of  their  con- 
stitution, was  repeated  at  the  death  of 
Moses ;  and,  by  a  statute,  ever  after,  from 
generation  to  generation,  once  in  seven 


BIBLE   REPUBLICANISM.  229 

years,  the  tribes  were  required  to  meet  in 
a  great  national  convention,  solemnly  to 
ratify  their  constitution. 

From  this  very  brief  view  of  the  Jewish 
government,  you  may  see  the  origin  of 
those  principles  of  civil  and  religious  liber- 
ty, which  prove  so  rich  a  blessing  wherever 
adopted,  and  fairly  carried  out. 

Co7i. — But  is  there  any  proof  that  their 
ecclesiastical  affairs  were  conducted  upon 
the  same  principles  ? 

Mill. — I  have  before  remarked,  that  for 
four  hundred  years,  in  the  theocracy  of 
the  Jews,  God  himself  was  the  supreme 
executive.  Consequently,  their  civil  and 
ecclesiastical  polities  were  blended,  to  a 
considerable  extent,  in  one  system.  Their 
several  courts  seem  to  have  had  the  adju- 
dication of  all  matters,  both  civil  and  reli- 
gious. This  was  necessary,  considering 
the  circumstances  under  which  the  Jewish 
government  was  instituted  and  existed.  It 
seems  to  have  been  the  object  of  God,  in 
establishing  the  Mosaic  economy,  to  forti- 
fy his  people  against  idolatry,  audpreserv-e 
a  pure  religion,  as  well  as  to  stop  the 
march  of  despotism,  lust  and  blood,  which 
darkened  and  cursed  the  whole  world  be- 
sides. The  nations  of  the  earth  had  cast 
oft'  his  allegiance,  and  turned  their  back 
upon  him,  and  his  commandments.     He 

20 


230  BIBLE   REPUBLICANISM. 

chose  for  himself  a  nation  to  whom  he 
committed  his  word  and  his  worship,  and 
who,  as  a  pattern  of  excellence  in  all  re- 
spects, might  exhibit  to  an  apostate  world 
the  "  blessedness  of  that  nation  whose  God 
is  the  Lord."  It  was,  therefore,  necessa- 
ry, that  God  should  appear  conspicuous  as 
their  immediate  lawgiver  and  executive, 
in  all  that  pertained  to  their  welfare,  both 
civil  and  religious.  The  blessed  effects  of 
true  religion  upon  a  national  government, 
were  also  to  be  exhibited,  and,  consequent- 
Iv,  we  find  their  civil  and  ecclesiastical 
polities  blended  in  one  system.  Even  their 
great  national  convention,  at  which  they 
deliberated  upon,  and,  if  necessary,  modi- 
fied their  constitution  and  laws,  was  called 
"an  holy  convocation."  Their  church 
government,  therefore,  partook  of  the  same 
features  which  characterized  their  civil  go- 
vernment, and  here  we  find  Presbvterian- 
ism  in  all  its  essential  features.  But  as  on 
this  point  I  wish  to  be  a  little  more  speci- 
fic, we  will  take  some  other  opportunity 
to  consider  it  more  at  length,  than  our 
time  at  present  will  permit. 


DIALOGUE  XX. 

BIBLE    PRESBYTERIANISM. 

Convert. — Since  our  last  conversation,  I 
have  been  examining,  to  some  extent,  the 
account  we  have  in  the  Bible  respecting 
the  government  of  the  Jews,  as  established 
by  Moses,  according  to  the  direction  of 
God,  and  find  very  frequent  mention  made 
of  "Elders,"  who  seem  to  have  been  offi- 
cers or  rulers  among  them.  Is  it  from  that 
title  and  office,  that  the  office  and  title  of 
"Ruling  Elder"  of  the  Presbyterian  sys- 
tem are  derived  ? 

Minister. — The  term  Elder  literally  sig- 
nifies an  aged  person.  The  word  in  the 
orii^inal  lan2ruao:es  of  the  Bible  has  the 
same  signification.  Persons  of  age  and  ex- 
perience were  usually  selected  to  fill  sta- 
tions of  honour  and  trust,  because  of  their 
gravity  and  wisdom ;  consequently,  the 
term  Elder  became  an  established  title  of 
office.  The  titles  of  Alderman,  Senator, 
and  otliers,  are  of  the  same  origin.  The 
term  Presb^'ter  is  simply  the  Greek  word 

(231) 


232  BIBLE   PBESBYTERIANISM. 

for  Elder,  transferred  into  our  language 
with  a  slight  change  in  its  orthography, 
without  being  translated. 

The  office  of  Elder  is  derived  from  that 
which  the  title  signified  with  the  "Elders 
of  Israel,"  that  is,  the  elders  of  the  Pres- 
b}i:erian  Church  hold  a  similar  station, 
with  similar  duties  and  obligations.  The 
"Elders  of  Israel"  seem  to  have  been  the 
acknowledged  representatives  of  the  peo- 
ple, acting  for  them,  and  in  their  name. 
Even  during  their  bondage  in  Egj-j^t,  they 
seem  to  have  had  those  who  Avere  termed 
Elders  ofiicially,  who  acted  by  authority  in 
behalf  of  the  people.  God  said  to  Moses, 
Ex.  iii.  16 — "  Go  and  gather  the  Elders  of 
Israel  together,  and  say  unto  them,"  &c. 
Here  was  a  message  that  concerned  the 
whole  mass  of  the  people,  and  no  doubt 
was  designed  for  them ;  yet  Moses  was 
commanded  not  to  deliver  it  to  the  people 
themselves,  but  to  their  representatives, 
the  Elders,  whose  duty  it  would  consequent- 
ly be,  to  make  it  known  to  the  people. 
Moses  was  also  commanded  to  take  with 
him  "  the  Elders  of  Israel,"  when  he  should 
go  with  the  message  of  God  to  Pharaoh, 
(Ex.  iii.  18,)  that  he  might  see  that  it  was 
the  voice  of  the  whole  congregation  of 
Israel  speaking  through  their  Elders. 
Moses  himself  was  not  counted  sufficient, 


BIBLE   PRESBYTERIANISM.  233 

which  shows  thej  had  no  aristocracy ;  the 
people  were  not  required  to  attend,  which 
is  contrary  to  independency ;  but  the  El- 
ders of  the  people  were  called,  to  whom  it 
was  committed. 

Con. — But  we  read  frequently,  that  God 
told  Moses  to  "•  speak  unto  the  children  of 
Israel;"  from  which  it  would  seem,  that 
the  people  themselves  were  most  general- 
ly appealed  to. 

Min. — In  such  cases,  we  are  to  under- 
stand the  direction  of  God  to  Moses,  to  be 
in  accordance  Avith  their  established  usage. 
He  had,  in  the  first  instance,  named  the 
Elders  particularly,  as  those  through  whom 
Moses  should  communicate  to  the  people 
his  messages ;  and,  consequently,  it  is  to  be 
understood,  that  when  God  tells  him  to 
"  speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,"  he 
meant  that  he  should  communicate  with 
them  through  the  same  channel.  This  is 
plain  from  the  fact,  that  it  would  be  im- 
possible for  Moses  to  deliver  his  messages 
to  the  whole  congregation  of  the  people. 
It  was  impossible,  in  their  circumstances, 
to  assemble  the  whole  multitude ;  and,  if 
assembled,  he  could  not  speak  to  them  all. 
It  is,  therefore,  most  natural  to  suppose, 
that  it  was  always  done  through  the  El- 
ders, especially,  seeing  that  they  are  so  fre- 
quently mentioned  as  those  through  whom 
20* 


234  BIBLE   PRESBYTERIANISM. 

God  and  Moses  communicated  witli  the 
people.  In  Ex.  xvii.  5,  6,  the  Elders  were 
selected  to  witness  the  miracle  of  striking 
the  rock  in  Horeb.  We  find  them,  also, 
on  other  occasions,  selected  for  similar 
purposes. — Ex.  xxiv.  1,  9. 

The  principle  of  representation  is  very 
strikingly  exhibited  in  Lev.  iv.  13 — 15 — 
"If  the  whole  congregation  sin,"  &c.,  "the 
Elders  of  the  congregation  shall  lay  their 
hands  upon  the  head  of  the  bullock," 
brought  for  a  sin  oficring.  Here  it  is  plain, 
that  the  Elders  were  viewed  as  represent- 
ing the  whole  congregation ;  and  what 
they  did  in  the  name  of  the  congregation, 
was  accepted  by  God  as  the  act  of  the 
whole. 

In  many  instances  during  the  journey- 
ings  of  the  Israelites  through  the  wilder- 
ness, the  Elders  are  spoken  of  as  being 
called  together  by  Moses,  to  deliberate  on 
important  matters,  or  to  receive  commu- 
nications for  the  people.  The  following 
passages  you  may  note  down  and  consult 
at  your  leisure — Ex.  xviii.  12 ;  Numb, 
xi.  16,  25 ;  Deut.  xxv.  7  ;  xxix.  10 ;  xxxi, 
28 ;  xxxiii.  7  ;  Josh.  xxiv.  31.  In  these 
and  many  other  passages,  you  will  find 
Elders  spoken  of  in  their  official  capacit}^, 
as  acting  authoritatively  for,  and  in  behalf 
of  the  people.  Their  care  over  the  morality 


BIBLE   PRESBYTERIANISM.  235 

and  religion  of  tlie  people,  and  ttie  benefi- 
cial effects  of  their  supervision,  are  spoken 
of  in  Josh.  xxiv.  31 — "Israel  served  the 
Lord  all  the  days  of  Joshua,  and  of  the 
Elders  that  overlived  Joshua,  and  which 
had  known  all  the  works  of  the  Lord  that 
he  had  done  for  Israel."  The  frequent 
mention  made  of  them  through  the  whole 
period  of  the  Jewish  history,  shows  very 
clearly,  that  even  in  their  lowest  condition, 
they  did  not  lose  sight  entirely  of  the  prin- 
ciples upon  which  their  government  was 
first  established. 

Con. — But  when  their  civil  government 
was  changed  under  their  kings,  would  it 
not  also  have  the  effect  of  changing,  or 
modifying,  their  system  of  church  govern- 
ment, seeing  that  they  were  so  intimately 
connected  in  their  first  establishment? 

Min. — To  what  extent  their  civil  govern- 
ment became  changed,  it  is  difiicult  to  as- 
certain. It  was  more  or  less  despotic  un- 
der their  different  kings,  in  proportion  as 
each  one  was  disposed  to  regard  his  duty 
to  God  and  man.  Still,  however,  we  find 
some  traces  of  republicanism,  in  the  dark- 
est periods  of  their  histor3\  But  as  the 
civil  government  became  changed,  the 
church  seems  to  have  separated  from  it. 
We  find  in  the  synagogue  service  and  or- 
der, a  system  of  church  government  en- 


236  BIBLE   PRESBYTERIANISM. 

tirely  distinct  and  separate,  comprising  in 
itself  a  complete  system  of  church  polity. 
It  is,  indeed,  contended  by  some  very  able 
biblical  scholars,  that  this  distinction  be- 
tween the  civil  and  ecclesiastical  polities 
of  the  Jews,  existed  from  the  first  setting  up 
of  the  tabernacle  in  the  wilderness.  There 
can  be  no  doubt,  however,  that  it  existed 
afterwards  in  the  order  and  service  of 
their  synagogues. 

Con. — When  was  the  synagogue  service 
first  established  ? 

Min. — It  perhaps  cannot  be  clearly  ascer- 
tained. Philo,  in  his  life  of  Moses,  gives 
some  good  reasons  for  the  opinion  that  it 
was  instituted  by  him.  Dr.  Trideaux  con- 
tends, that  it  could  not  have  existed  pre- 
vious to  the  return  of  the  Jews  from  their 
captivity  in  Babylon.  His  reasoning,  how- 
ever, is  not  conclusive.  He  founds  his 
opinion  mainly  upon  the  fact,  that  the 
reading  and  expounding  of  the  Scriptures 
then  extant,  was  the  most  prominent  of 
synagogue  services,  and  as  copies  of  the 
Scriptures  were  not  generally  distributed 
pre^dous  to  the  captivity,  the  synagogue 
sei'\^ice,  he  thinks,  could  not  have  existed. 
The  other  services  of  the  synagogue,  how- 
ever, praise,  prayer,  and  exhortation,  might 
have  existed  previously;  and,  after  the 
captivity,  reading  and  expounding  the  law 


BIBLE   PRESBYTEEIANISM.  237 

may  have  been  added.  It  does  not  appear 
that  the  Jews  were  at  any  time  restricted 
to  any  particular  phice  for  the  performance 
of  their  devotional  exercises,  though  their 
sacrifices  could  only  be  offered  at  the  ta- 
bernacle, or  temple.  We  know  that  praise 
and  prayer  were  offered,  and  instruction 
given,  at  the  "schools  of  the  prophets," 
of  which  we  find  mention  made  as  early 
as  the  days  of  Samuel.  How  long  before 
Samuel  they  were  instituted,  canuot  be 
clearly  ascertained.  The  devout  Israelites 
were  in  the  habit  of  assembling  at  these 
schools,  for  the  purposes  of  devotion  and 
instruction,  on  their  new  moons  and  Sab- 
baths. 1  Sam.  X.  5—11;  xix.  18—24.  2 
Ejngs  iv.  23.  The  natural  course  would 
be,  that  these  places  for  meeting  would  be 
multiplied,  as  the  wants  of  the  people 
seemed  to  demand,  and  a  regular  order  of 
conducting  divine  worship  would  be  intro- 
duced. In  Ezek.  xiv.  1,  and  xx.  1,  com- 
pared with  Neh.  viii.  17,  18,  we  have  inti- 
mations that  such  was  the  case.  In  Psa. 
Lxxxiv.  there  seems  to  be  a  direct  allusion 
to  such  places  of  worship ;  and,  in  Psa. 
Ixxiv.  8,  the  Psalmist,  speaking  of  the  de- 
solations wrought  by  their  enemies,  says 
expressly,  "  Thej^  have  burnt  up  all  the 
synagogues  of  God  in  the  land." 

The  most  natural  conclusion,  therefore, , 


238  BIBLE   PRESBYTEEIANISM. 

is,  as  it  seems  to  me,  that  the  prophets  and 
holy  men — "the  Elders  of  Israel" — under 
the  direction  of  God,  instituted  the  syna- 
gogue service  at  a  very  early  period,  first 
by  devout  assemblies  at  the  schools  of  the 
prophets,  and  the  houses  of  holy  men ;  and 
these  domestic  congregations  being  mul- 
tiplied, as  the  wants  of  the  people  seemed 
to  demand,  and  becoming  fixed  in  certain 
places,  a  distinct  system  of  church  polity, 
and  a  regular  order  of  conducting  divine 
service,  was  introduced.  This  point,  how- 
ever, is  not  of  much  importance  to  our 
present  inquiry.  We  know  that  there  was 
such  a  system  in  existence  when  our  Sa- 
viour came  upon  earth ;  and  that  when 
the  Christian  church  was  set  up  as  a  regu- 
lar organization  b}^  the  apostles,  they 
adopted  the  order  of  the  synagogue. 

Con. — But  w^as  that  Presbyterianism  ? 

Min. — In  every  synagogue  there  was  a 
bench  of  Elders,  consisting  of  three  or 
more  persons,  who  were  entrusted  with  its 
whole  government  and  discipline.  The 
synagogues  were  the  parish  or  district 
churches  of  the  Jews,  in  which  the  Elders, 
as  a  court,  or  bench  of  rulers,  received 
members,  judged,  censured,  and  excluded, 
or  excommunicated.  Their  sentence  of 
excommunication  was  termed  "putting 
him  out  of  the  synagogue" — John  ix.  22, 


BIBLE  PRESBYTEEIANISM.  239 

and  xii.  42 — and  the  Elders  were  called 
"the  rulers  of  the  sjmagogue,"  of  whom 
we  have  frequent  mention  in  the  Kew  Tes- 
tament. We  find,  therefore,  that  in  the 
synagogues,  all  the  essential  principles  of 
Presb}i:erianism  were  universally  estab- 
lished. The  similarity  in  every  important 
point  was  exact.  We  find,  also,  that  in 
addition  to  this  bench  of  Elders  in  each 
synagogue,  there  was  one  principal  over- 
seer, who  was  called  the  "Bishop,"  or 
"  Angel  of  the  church,"  who  was  the  pre- 
siding ofiicer,  or  Moderator.  From  these 
lower  courts,  also,  there  was  an  appeal  to 
the  "great  synagogue"  at  Jerusalem  ;  thus 
blending  the  whole  community  together 
as  one  visible  professing  body. 

In  this,  I  believe,  all  commentators  and 
biblical  scholars  agree,  be  their  preposses- 
sions as  to  church  government  what 
they  may.  Did  time  permit,  I  could  quote 
to  3^ou  Stillingfleet,  Vitringa,  Selden,  Gro- 
tius,  Lightfoot,  Thorndike,  Burnet,  God- 
win, l^eander,  Spencer,  and  others,  who 
all  agree,  in  every  important  point,  respect- 
ing the  order  and  polity  of  the  synagogue. 
The  testimony  of  these  eminent  men  is 
rendered  more  conclusive  from  the  fact, 
that  they  were  not  Presbyterians,  witb, 
perhaps,  one  or  two  exceptions.  I  might 
also  quote  Dr.  Gill,  and  Dr.  Adam  Clarke, 


240  BIBLE   PRESBYTEEIANISM. 

as  teaching  tlie  same  truth.  The  extensive 
learning  and  deep  research  of  these  emi- 
nent men,  no  competent  judge  will  call  in 
question ;  and  as  one  was  a  Baptist  and 
the  other  a  ^Methodist,  they  cannot  be  ac- 
cused of  favouring  Presb}i:erianism,  fur- 
ther than  in  giving  what  they  conceived 
to  he  the  plain  sense  of  the  Scriptures. 

The  first  converts  to  Christianity  were 
mostly  native  Jews,  and  as  they  had  been 
accustomed  to  the  exercise  of  church  go- 
vernment in  the  manner  specified,  entire- 
ly distinct  from  the  temple  worship,  which 
was  ceremonial  and  typical,  it  is  not  sur- 
prising that  it  should  be  adopted  by  the 
apostles  in  the  organization  of  the  primi- 
tive church.  That  this  was  the  case,  we 
have  abundant  evidence,  which  is  so  con- 
clusive that  it  seems  to  me  a  matter  of 
wonder  that  it  should  be  controverted.  At 
a  future  time,  I  ynll  give  you  a  brief  sum- 
mary of  the  evidence  that  the  primitive 
church  was  truly  Presb}i:erian,  and  con- 
tinued so  until  it  was  corrupted  by  Popery, 
which  will,  I  think,  convince  you  of  the 
Scriptural  warrant  for  Presbyterianism. 


DIALOGUE  XXr. 

PRIMITIVE   PRESBYTERIANISM. 

Convert — A  difficulty  has  occurred  to 
my  mind  since  our  last  conversation,  re- 
specting the  officers  of  the  synagogue. 
You  spoke  of  Elders,  but  I  do  i^ot  recol- 
lect that  you  said  anything  about  Minis- 
ters, as  belonging  to  the  established  order 
of  the  synagogue,  unless  the  presiding  offi- 
cer, *'the  Angel  of  the  church,"  acted  in 
that  capacity. 

Minister. — It  was  one  of  the  duties  of  the 
chief  rulers  of  the  synagogue,  to  teach  the 
people  from  the  Scriptures.  This  they 
did  sometimes  by  way  of  conference,  or 
questions  and  answers,  and  sometimes  by 
continued  discourses,  like  sermons.  These 
different  ways  of  teaching  they  called  by 
the  general  name  of  searching,  and  the 
discourse  was  called  a  search,  or  inquiiy. 
The  chief  ruler  or  president  also  invited 
others,  whom  he  thought  capable,  to  speak 
in  the  synagogue ;  and  that  honour  was 
generally  oSered  to  strangers,  if  any  were 
present,  who  were  thought  to  have  the 
gift  of  speaking. — ^Luke  iv.  16 — 22;  Acts 
21  (241) 


242  PRIMITIVE   PRESBYTERIANISM. 

xiii.  14,  15.  These  presidents,  or  chief 
rulers,  together  with  the  bench  of  Elders, 
were  called  rulers.  Hence,  in  the  primi- 
tive church,  the  preacher  or  pastor,  toge- 
ther with  the  bench  of  Elders,  were  called 
by  the  general  name  of  Elders.  Paul,  in 
giving  instruction  to  Timothy,  tells  him, 
"  Let  the  Elders  that  rule  well,  be  counted 
worthy  of  double  honour,  especially  they 
who  labour  in  the  word  and  doctrine." — 1 
Tim.  V.  17.  From  which  it  is  plain,  that 
there  was  a  class  of  Elders,  who  did  not 
labour  in  word  and  doctrine.  Peter  called 
himself  an  Elder,  and  we  know  he  was  a 
preacher.  We  know,  also,  that  there  were 
Elders  who  ruled,  yet  did  not  preach,  be- 
cause there  was  a  plurality  of  them  or- 
dained in  every  church,  however  small,  and 
we  cannot  suppose  that  in  every  church 
they  had  a  plurality  of  pastors. 

Con. — But  how  do  we  know  that  these 
Pastors  and  Elders  sustained  the  same 
office,  and  were  clothed  with  the  same  au- 
thority, which  we  now  find  invested  in  the 
officers  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  ? 

Min. — We  find  the  Elders  represented 
as  "  overseers"  of  the  church.  ^'  Take  heed 
therefore  unto  yourselves,  and  to  all  the 
flock  over  the  which  the  Holy  Ghost  hath 
made  you  overseers." — Acts  xx.  28.  They 
are  also   called  rulers.     "Let  the  Elders 


\ 

PRIMITIVE   PRESBYTERIANISM.  243 

that  rule  well."— 1  Tim.  v.  17:  ''Obey 
them  that  have  the  rule  over  you,"  &c. — 
Heb.  xiii.  17.  The  people,  too,  are  ex- 
horted to  obey  them,  to  submit  to  them, 
&c.,  as  to  persons  charged  with  an  over- 
sight of  their  spiritual  interests.  "  And 
we  beseech  you,  brethren,  to  know  them 
which  labour  among  you,  and  are  over  you 
in  the  Lord,  and  admonish  you ;  and  to 
esteem  them  very  highly  in  love  for  their 
work's  sake.— 1  Thess.  v.  12,  13.  ''  Obey 
them  that  have  the  rule  over  you,  and  sub- 
mit yourselves,"  &c. — Heb.  xiii.  17.  Now, 
when  we  find  a  plurality  of  Elders  ordained 
in  every  church,  and  one  of  these  Elders 
"labouring  in  word  and  doctrine,"  and 
others  not;  and  when  we  find  that  the 
people  were  exhorted  to  obey  them,  and 
submit  to  them  in  the  Lord;  and,  also, 
that  these  Elders  were  chosen  by  the  peo- 
ple, and  ordained  to  their  ofiice  by  the  lay- 
ing on  of  hands ;  we  have  all  the  essential 
principles  of  Presbyterianism.  This  will 
appear  to  j^ou  the  more  plain,  when  you 
recur  to  the  fact  I  before  noticed,  that  the 
term  Presb}i;er  is  the  same  with  Elder.  In 
the  one  case  it  is  translated,  and  in  the 
other  it  is  simply  transferred,  with  a  slight 
change  in  orthography. 

Con, — But  we  find  the  word  Bishop  of- 
ten used  to  denote  an  office  then  existing 


244         PRIMITIVE   PRESBYTERIAOTSM. 

in  the  church,  and  does  not  this  fact  afford 
some  ground  for  Episcopacy  ? 

Mn. — The  term  "Bishop,"  like  that  of 
Presbji:ei',  is  transferred  into  our  language 
without  being  translated.  It  means  an 
overseer,  and  we  have  it  so  translated  in 
several  instances.  "  Take  heed  to  your- 
selves, and  to  all  the  flock  over  the  which 
the  Holy  Ghost  hath  made  you  over- 
seers," (or  Bishops.) — Acts  xx.  28.  The 
Elders  are  styled  Bishops,  as  they  have  the 
oversight  of  the  flock,  and  the  terms  Bi- 
shop, and  Elder,  are  titles  given  inter- 
changeably to  the  same  persons,  which 
plainly  shows  that  the  term  Bishop  was  no 
more  than  the  title  which  designated  the 
pastor,  or  overseer  of  a  single  church.  We 
do  not  find  in  the  New  Testament  a  single 
trace  of  Episcopacy,  in  its  modern  form. 
Indeed,  the  placing  of  one  minister  above 
another  is  expressly  forbidden.  There  is 
but  one  commission  given  by  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  to  his  ministers :  "Go  and 
teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the 
name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of 
the  Holy  Ghost."  And  anything  like  one 
minister  being  placed  higher  in  authority 
than  the  rest,  and  having  rule  over  them, 
and  possessing  alone  the  power  of  ordina- 
tion, is  directly  in  the  face  of  the  com- 
mands of  Christ,  and  all  the  instituted  or- 


PRIMITIVE   PRESBYTERIANISM.         245 

der  of  the  primitive  cliurch.  There  is  not 
a  solitary  instance  in  all  the  New  Testa- 
ment, of  an  ordination  being  performed  by 
a  single  individual,  but  the  poAver  is  uni- 
formly represented  as  being  possessed,  and 
exercised,  by  the  ordinary  pastors,  and  per- 
formed by  the  "laying  on  of  the  hands  of 
the  Presbytery." — 1  Tim.  iv.  14;  Acts  xiii. 
3 ;  which  corresponds  with  Presbyterian- 
ism,  and  w^ith  Presbyterianism  alone. 
That  this  was  the  form  of  church  govern- 
ment adopted  by  the  apostles,  and  left  in 
universal  use  when  these  inspired  men  left; 
the  church  to  their  successors,  it  really 
seems  almost  impossible  that  any  impar- 
tial and  candid  reader  of  the  Kew  Testa- 
ment can  entertain  a  doubt. 

Con. — But  have  we  also  authority,  or 
precedent,  for  the  several  church  courts 
which  we  find  in  use  in  the  Presbyterian 
church  ? 

J^lin. — It  is  very  plain,  that  the  whole 
church,  as  it  then  existed,  however  scat- 
tered, was  regarded  as  one  body,  all  go- 
verned by  the  same  laws,  and  subject  to 
the  same  authorit}'.  When  a  subject  of 
importance  arose,  about  which  there  was 
diversity  of  opinion,  we  find  the  matter 
considered  and  decided  by  a  synod  com- 
posed of  the  "apostles  and  elders." — Acts 
XV.  We  have  in  this  chapter  an  account 
21* 


246         PRIMITIVE   PilESBYTERIANISM. 

of  the  doings  of  the  Synod,  which  met  at 
Jerusalem,  and  have  it  particularly  stated, 
that  their  decision  respecting  the  overture 
which  was  brought  before  them,  was  sent 
down  to  "  all  the  churches,"  carrying  with 
it  the  authority  of  the  Synod  for  their  re- 
gulation. We  find,  also,  that  this  decree 
with  others,  was  recorded  and  delivered  to 
the  churches,  to  be  registered,  preserved, 
and  obeyed.  As  Paul  and  Timothy  "  went 
through  the  cities,  they  delivered  them  the 
decrees  for  to  keep,  which  were  ordained 
by  the  apostles  and  elders  which  were  at 
Jerusalem." — Actsxvi.  4.  Here,  then,  we 
find  an  assembly  of  ministers  and  elders 
acting  as  the  representatives  of  the  whole 
church,  and  pronouncing  authoritative  de- 
cisions, which  were  intended  to  bind  the 
whole  body.  If  this  be  not  Presbyterian- 
ism,  we  will  search  for  it  in  vain,  either  in 
Scotland  or  America. 

Con. — How  long  did  the  church  con- 
tinue under  Presb}i:erian  government,  and 
what  was  the  cause  of  the  change  ? 

Min. — It  is  difficult  to  ascertain  precise- 
ly the  time  of  the  first  departure  from 
Presb3i'erianism.  The  change  was,  no 
doubt,  small  at  first,  and  thought  to  be  tri- 
vial. Clemens  Romanus,  an  eminent  Fa- 
ther, who  lived  near  the  close  of  the  fii'st 
century,  in  a  letter  directed  to  the  Chris- 


PRIMITIVE   PRESBYTERIANISM.         247 

tians  at  Corinth,  chides  them  for  having, 
at  the  instigation  of  a  few  leading  men, 
departed,  in  one  respect,  from  the  ^vise 
and  wholesome  system  of  church  govern- 
ment estahlished  by  the  apostles.  "  It  is  a 
shame,"  he  writes,  "yea,  a  veiy  great 
shame,  to  hear  that  the  most  firm  and  an- 
cient church  of  the  Corinthians  should  be 
led,  by  one  or  two  persons,  to  rise  up 
against  their  Elders.  *  *  *  j^^^  f]jQ 
flock  of  Christ  enjoy  peace,  with  the  El- 
ders that  are  set  over  them.  *  *  *  j)q 
ye,  therefore,  who  first  laid  the  foundation 
for  this  sedition,  submit  yourselves  to  your 
Elders."  Two  things  are  plain  fi-om  these 
expressions.  First,  that  the  Corinthian 
church  had  been  organized  upon  Presby- 
terian principles,  and  had  so  continued  for 
a  time,  probably  during  one  generation. 
Second,  that  a  departure  from  it  was 
viewed  by  this  eminent  Father  as  deserv- 
ing of  censure.  This,  however,  was  only 
a  solitary  case,  and  the  defection  did  not 
become  general  for  a  length  of  time  after- 
wards. But  it  shows  how  prone  men  are 
to  depart  from  the  simplicity  of  the  order 
of  the  primitive  times.  The  testimony  of 
the  Fathers  is  abundant  and  clear,  that  the 
church,  in  general,  continued  to  enjoy  the 
primitive  Presbyterian  form  of  govern- 
ment for  at  least  two  centui'ies.    Did  time 


248  PRIMITIVE   PEESBYTERIANISM. 

permit,  I  might  quote  to  you,  Ignatius, 
Polycarp,  Irenseus,  C}^rian,  Origen,  Am- 
brose, Augustine,  Justin  Martyr,  and 
others,  as  stating  the  same  truths,  that  in 
the  early  ages  oiP  the  church,  the  different, 
distinct  churches  were  under  the  care  of 
a  Bishop,  or  Pastor,  and  a  bench  of  El- 
ders, and  that  there  was  no  priority,  or 
pre-eminence  of  rank  among  the  ministers. 
Indeed,  for  the  first  two  hundred  years  af- 
ter Christ,  we  find  no  traces  of  either  Pre- 
lacy or  Independency,  except  they  may  be 
traced  in  the  few  departures  from  Presby- 
terianism,  which  we  find  condemned  and 
censured  by  the  Fathers.  Ambrose,  who 
lived  in  the  fourth  century,  in  his  com- 
mentary on  1  Tim.  v.  1,  says,  that  "  the 
synagogues,  and  afterwards  the  church, 
had  Elders,  without  whose  counsel  nothing 
was  done  in  the  church,  which  grew  into 
disuse,  by  what  negligence,  I  know  not, 
unless,  perhaps,  by  the  sloth,  or  rather  the 
pride,  of  the  Teachers,  while  they  alone, 
wished  to  appear  something."  That  there 
were  Elders  and  Teachers,  as  distinct 
classes  of  ofiicers  in  the  primitive  church, 
Ambrose  asserts  positively,  and  expresses 
his  opinion,  that  they  "grew  into  disuse, 
from  the  sloth  or  pride  of  the  teachers." 
We  find  from  the  history  of  those  times, 
that  both  the  Ministry  and  Eldership  of 


PRIMITIVE   PRESBYTERIANISM.  249 

the  church,  declined  in  zeal  and  faithful- 
ness. The  pictures  given  of  the  cupidity, 
mutual  encroachments  and  strife  of  the 
clergy,  even  in  the  third  century,  by  Cy- 
prian, Origen,  and  Eusehius,  are  truly 
mournful.  In  such  a  state  of  things  it  is 
not  surprising,  that  the  simphcity  of  the 
primitive  church  gave  place  to  a  system 
which  flattered  ambition,  and  fed  volup- 
tuousness. Among  such  ministers,  a 
grasping  after  preferment,  titles,  &c., 
might  be  confidently  expected.  The  pas- 
tors in  the  large  cities,  and  more  opulent 
towns,  began  to  claim  a  pre-eminence  and 
peculiar  powers,  which  by  little  and  little 
were  admitted,  and  at  length  established, 
as  a  part  of  the  order  of  Christ's  house. 
And,  finallj^,  the  bishops  became  "  lords 
over  God's  heritage,"  rather  than  "ensam- 
ples  to  the  flock;"  and  to  crown  all,  one 
was  proclaimed  "universal Bishop,"  under 
the  title  of  Pope — declared  to  be  the  "  Yi- 
car  of  God," — with  universal,  unlimited 
authority  over  the  souls  and  bodies  of  all 
men  in  the  world. 

Con. — And  was  the  primitive  order  of 
the  church  so  entirely  lost  in  this  universal 
corruption,  that  none  remained  to  bear 
witness  to  the  ti-uth  ? 

Min. — The  Paulicians  we  find,  in  the 
seventh  century,  testifying  against  the  eu- 


250  PRIMITIVE   PRESBYTERIANISM.' 

croachments  of  Prelacy,  and  afterwards  the 
Waldenses  and  Albigenses,  still  more  dis- 
tinctly and  zealously,  protested  against  the 
errors  of  the  times,  and  especiall}^,  the  en- 
croachments on  Presh}i:erian  simplicity. 
It  was,  indeed,  supposed  that  the  Walden- 
ses were  prior  to  the  Paulicians.  The  noted 
Reinerius,  who  lived  near  three  hundred 
years  before  Luther,  and  had  once  resided 
with  the  Waldenses,  though  he  afterwards 
became  one  of  their  bitterest  persecutors, 
in  a  treatise  he  wrote  against  them,  ascribes 
to  them  a  very  early  origin.  He  said  they 
were  "  the  most  pernicious  to  the  Church 
of  Rome  of  all  other  heretics,  for  three  rea- 
sons. First,  because  they  were  older  than 
any  other  sect,  for  some  say  they  have  been 
ever  since  Pope  Sylvester,  (A.  D.  314,)  and 
others  say  from  the  time  of  the  apostles." 
Their  origin  is  too  remote  to  be  traced  with 
distinctness  and  certainty.  That  they  were 
Presbyterian  both  in  doctrine  and  order, 
must  be  admitted  by  all.  John  Paul  Per- 
rin,  their  historian,  who  was  one  of  their 
ministers,  speaks  particularly  of  their  El- 
ders and  Pastors,  as  distinct  classes  of  offi- 
cers in  the  church,  and  represents  their 
Synods  as  composed  of  Ministers  and  El- 
ders. Gilly,  another  historian  of  the  Wal- 
denses, quotes  their  Confession  of  Faith,  as 
containing  the  following  declaration  :  "It 


PRIMITIVE   PRESBYTERIANISM.  251 

is  necessary  for  the  church  to  have  Pastors, 
to  preach  God's  word,  to  administer  the 
sacraments,  and  to  watch  over  the  sheep 
of  Jesus  Christ ;  and  also  Elders  and  Dea- 
cons, according  to  the  rules  of  good  and 
holy  church  discipline,  and  the  practice  of 
the  primitive  church."  This  not  only 
shows  beyond  doubt  that  the  Waldenses 
were  Presbyterians,  but  it  also  shows  what 
they  believed  respecting  the  Presbyterian- 
ism  of  the  primitive  church.  Other  histo- 
rians of  undisputed  authority,  assert  the 
same  respecting  the  Waldenses,  and  the 
Bohemians,  and  the  Albigenses,  who  were 
different  branches  of  the  same  people,  and 
called  by  different  names,  as  they  lived  at 
different  times,  and  in  different  places. 
Moreland,  Ranken,  Comenius,  Bucer,  and 
others,  all  give  decisive  testimony  to  the 
fact,  that  these  witnesses  for  the  truth,  du- 
ring the  long  period  of  darkness  and  cor- 
ruption which  overspread  the  church,  were 
decidedly  Presbyterian,  both  in  doctrine 
and  order.* 

Thus  I  have  endeavoured  to  give  you  a 
very  brief  and  hasty  view  of  Presbyterian- 
ism  from  the  days  of  the  apostles  to  the 
reformation  by  Luther.     To  the  facts  that 

♦  See  a  very  interesting  "  History  of  the  Waldenses,"  il- 
lustrated with  beautiful  engravings,  published  by  the  Board 
of  Publication. 


252         PRIMITIVE    PRESBYTERIANISM. 

I  have  stated,  volumes  of  testimony  migtt 
be  given,  but  circumstances  would  only 
permit  us  to  glance  at  a  small  part  of  it. 
But  from  what  has  been  said,  you  can  per- 
ceive the  puerile  ignorance  manifested  by 
those  who  allege  that  Presbyterianism  was 
invented  by  Calvin. 

Con. — Were  the  Reformers  Presbyterian 
in  their  sentiments  and  practice  ? 

Min. — All  the  Reformers,  of  any  note, 
agreed  upon  all  the  essential  principles  of 
Presbyterianism.  But  as  our  conversation 
has  been  sufficiently  protracted  at  this  time, 
we  will  on  some  future  occasion  examine 
what  history  says  on  that  point. 


DIALOGUE  XXII. 

PRESBYTERIANISM  OF  THE  REFORMERS. 

Convert. — In  our  former  conversations  I 
have  not  noticed,  that  among  the  officers 
of  the  Presbyterian  church,  you  said  any- 
thing respecting  Deacons,  yet  they  are  fre- 
quently mentioned  in  the  New  Testament ; 
and  I  find,  also,  mention  made  of  them  in 
the  Confession  of  the  Waldenses.  They 
are  also,  I  believe,  in  most  Presbyterian 
churches  that  I  am  acquainted  with. 

Minister. — The  office  of  Deacon  is  a  very 
important  one,  and  should  be  found  in  ev- 
ery church,  where  circumstances  require 
and  admit  of  it ;  still,  however,  it  is  not  an 
essential  part  of  Presbyterianism,  that  is,  a 
church  may  exist,  and  act  upon  Presbyte- 
rian principles,  in  which  they  are  not 
found.  The  want  of  this  office  does  not 
destroy  its  Presbyterianism ;  whereas,  a 
Presbyterian  church  cannot  exist  without 
Elders.  Deacons  existed  in  the  syna- 
gogues, and  were  afterwards  introduced  by 
the  apostles  into  the  primitive  church,  as 
soon  as  circumstances  seemed  to  require  it. 
22  (253) 


.^54  PRESBYTERIANISM  OP 

We  find  tliat  the  church  had  existed  for 
some  time,  and  when  "the  number  of 
disciples  was  multiplied,"  circumstances 
seemed  to  call  for  the  appointment  of  some, 
whose  special  business  it  should  be  to  at- 
tend to  the  temporal  concerns  of  the  church, 
especially  to  superintend  her  benevolent 
operations. — Acts  vi.  So  in  every  church 
in  which  this  part  of  its  business  requires 
much  of  the  attention  of  the  minister  and 
elders,  if  the  circumstances  at  all  admit  of 
it,  they  should  have  "Deacons  set  over  the 
work,"  who  should  be  solemnly  ordained 
by  prayer  and  the  laying  on  of  hands,  in 
the  same  way  that  the  other  officers  are  or- 
dained. The  importance  of  the  office  to 
the  church  you  can  easily  perceive,  and  it 
shows  in  a  very  clear  light  the  wisdom  of 
the  Great  Head  of  the  church,  in  arranging 
all  things  necessary  to  her  peace,  comfort 
and  prosperity.  Hence,  we  find,  that 
though  the  office  of  Deacon  has  not  been 
uniformly  found  in  all  Presbyterian 
churches,  yet  it  has  been  generally  con- 
tended for  by  those,  who  seek  entire  con- 
formity to  the  order  of  the  primitive  church. 
Con. — "Was  Calvin  the  first  of  the  Ee- 
formers  who  sought  to  establish  Presbyte- 
rianism  according  to  the  order  of  the  prim- 
itive church  ?  I  have  thought,  that  per- 
haps this  gave  rise  to  the  idea,  that  he 


THE  REFORMERS.  255 

originated  it.  If  he  was  the  first  of  the 
Reformers  who  adopted  it,  the  more  igno- 
rant might  conclude  that  it  originated  with 
him. 

Min. — The  allegation  that  Presbyterian- 
ism  originated  with  Calvin,  has  not  even 
that  foundation.  XJlric  Zuingle,  the 
leader  of  the  Reformation  in  Switzerland, 
who  lived  long  before  Calvin,  and  died  be- 
fore ever  Calvin  saw  Geneva,  or  had  ap- 
peared among  the  prominent  Reformers, 
thus  speaks  on  the  subject  of  Ruling  El- 
ders :  "  The  title  of  Presbyter,  or  Elder, 
as  used  in  Scripture,  is  not  rightly  under- 
stood by  those,  who  consider  it  as  applica- 
ble only  to  those  who  preside  in  preaching : 
for  it  is  evident,  that  the  term  is  also  some- 
times used  to  designate  Elders  of  another 
kind,  that  is.  Senators,  Leaders,  or  Coun- 
sellors." 

CEcolampadius,  whom  D' Aubigne  in  his 
history  mentions  as  one  of  the  bright  stars 
of  the  Reformation,  and  who  was  contem- 
porary with  Luther,  but  died  before  Calvin 
came  on  the  stage  of  action,  thus  speaks 
of  Ruling  Elders :  "  But  it  is  evident,  that 
those  which  are  here  intended,  are  certain 
Seniors  or  Elders,  such  as  were  in  the 
apostles'  days,  and  who  of  old  time  were 
called  Fresbuteroi,  whose  judgment,  being 
that  of  the  most  prudent  part  of  the  church, 


256  PKESBYTERIANISM  OP 

was  considered  as  tlie  decision  of  the  whole 
church."  The  testimony  of  Biicer,  Lasco, 
Peter  Martyr,  and  others,  is  equally  clear 
as  to  the  fact,  that  Presbyterianism  was 
one  of  the  grand  principles  of  the  Refor- 
mation. Luther,  himself,  in  speaking  of 
the  Bohemian  church,  says :  "  There  hath 
not  arisen  any  people  since  the  times  of 
the  apostles,  whose  church  hath  come 
nearer  to  the  apostolic  doctrine  and  order, 
than  the  brethren  of  Bohemia.  *  *  * 
In  the  ordinary  discipline  of  the  church 
they  use,  and  whereby  they  happily  go- 
vern the  churches,  they  go  far  beyond  us, 
and  are  in  this  respect  far  more  praise- 
worthy." Now,  in  view  of  the  fact  before 
stated,  that  the  Bohemian  Church  was 
strictly  Presbyterian,  the  sentiments  of 
Luther  are  plain.  Melancthon,  Farel, 
Viret  and  others  might  be  added  to  the 
list  of  eminent  Reformers,  who  all  agree 
on  the  great  principles  of  Presbyterianism, 
viz :  equality  of  rank  among  ministers, 
and  the  government  of  the  church  by  Min- 
isters and  Elders. 

Calvin,  when  he  first  settled  at  Geneva, 
found  the  church  there  in  great  need  of 
discipline,  and  for  attempting  to  establish 
a  system  that  would  exclude  gross  offenders 
from  the  sealing  ordinances  of  the  church, 
he  was  banished  from  the  city,  and  retired 


THE  REFORMERS.  257 

to  Strasburg.  Wliile  tliere,  feeling  the 
great  want  of  some  regular  system  of 
church  discipline,  he  opened  a  correspon- 
dence with  some  of  the  principal  men  of 
the  Bohemian  church.  Comenius,  in  his 
history  of  the  Bohemians,  gives  some  ex- 
trax3ts  from  some  of  his  letters,  in  which 
he  speaks  in  high  terms  of  their  form  of 
church  government,  as  being  not  only  wise 
and  wholesome,  but  also  in  accordance  with 
the  apostolic  order.  I^ear  four  years  after- 
wards he  was  recalled  to  Geneva,  and 
made  it  one  of  the  conditions  of  his  ac- 
cepting the  pastoral  charge  of  the  church, 
that  he  should  be  permitted  to  have  a 
bench  of  Elders,  to  conduct  the  discipline 
of  the  church,  according  to  the  plan  in 
use  among  the  Bohemians.  Thus,  Pres- 
byterianism  was  established  in  Geneva, 
and  became  general  in  the  Reformed 
Churches  in  Switzerland,  Germany,  Hol- 
land, France,  Hungary,  Scotland,  and 
throughout  Europe  generally,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  England. 

Con. — Why  was  it  not  received  and 
adopted  in  England  ? 

Min. — ^In  the  reformation  from  Popery 
in  England,  the  kings  and  bishops  most- 
ly took  the  lead.  To  them,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  the  simple  republicanism  of  the 
Presbyterian  system  would  not  be  agreea- 
22* 


258  PRESBYTERIANISM   OP 

ble.  Ecclesiastical  pre-eminence  liad  long 
been  established,  and  it  is  not  surprising 
tbat  they  should  wish  to  retain  it.  Ac- 
cordingly, while  they  adopted  the  system 
of  doctrine  taught  by  the  Reformers  gen- 
erally, they  retained  many  of  the  features 
of  Popery  in  their  system  of  church  go- 
vernment. This,  however,  was  contrary 
to  the  expressed  opinion  of  many  of  their 
most  learned  and  pious  divines.  N'ot  a 
few  of  the  brightest  stars  of  the  Church  of 
England  have  given  their  decided  opinion 
in  favour  of  Presb3rterianism.  The  truly 
venerable  and  pious  Dr.  Owen,  gives  his 
opinion  on  1  Tim.  v.  17,  in  the  following 
unequivocal  language  :  ^'  This  is  a  text  of 
nncontrollable  evidence,  if  it  had  anything 
to  conflict  withal,  but  prejudice  and  inter- 
est. A  rational  man,  who  is  unprejudiced, 
who  never  heard  of  the  controversy  about 
E-uling  Elders,  can  hardly  avoid  an  appre- 
hension, that  there  were  two  sorts  of  El- 
ders, some  who  labour  in  the  word  and 
doctrine,  and  some  who  do  not  so  do.  The 
truth  is,  it  was  interest  and  prejudice  which 
first  caused  some  learned  men  to  strain 
their  wits  to  find  out  evasions  from  the 
evidence  of  this  testimony.  Being  found 
out,  some  others  of  meaner  abilities  have 
been  entangled  by  them.  *  *  *  There 
are,  then,  Elders  in  the  church.     There 


THE   REFORMERS.  259 

are,  or  ought  to  be  so,  in  every  church. 
With  these  Elders  the  whole  rule  of  the 
church  is  entrusted.  All  these,  and  only 
they,  do  rule  in  it."  This,  from  an  Inde- 
pendent divine  of  so  much  eminence  and 
piety  as  Dr.  Owen,  is  as  strong  human  tes- 
timony in  favour  of  Presbyterianism,  as 
any  one  can  wish.  Dr.  Whitely  bears  the 
same  testimony,  in  language  equally  plain. 
Thorndike,  Whitaker,  and  others,  clearly 
express  the  same  opinion ;  and  even  Arch- 
bishop Cranmer,  once  proposed  the  intro- 
duction of  Ruling  Elders  into  the  Church 
of  England.  From  all  this  testimony  it  is 
plain,  that  though  Prelacy  was  established 
in  the  national  church,  many  of  her  most 
eminent  men  were  in  favour  of  Presbyte- 
rianism, as  being  in  accordance  with  apos- 
tolic order.  I  have  purposely  avoided 
quoting  the  opinions  of  Presbyterians,  be- 
cause they  might  be  considered  partial  to 
their  own  system.  But  when  we  find  the 
system  supported  by  the  arguments  of 
Episcopalians  and  Independents,  partiality 
to  Presbyterianism  cannot  be  alleged.  I 
might  add  testimony,  equally  plain,  from 
many  others,  both  Episcopalians  and  Inde- 
pendents, but  I  think  I  have  said  enough 
to  convince  you,  that  the  order  of  the 
Presbyterian  church,  as  well  as  her  doc- 
trine, is  in  accordance  with  the  Bible  and 


260   PRESBYTERIANISM  OF  THE  REFORMERS. 

common  sense,  and  has  received  the  suf- 
frages of  the  wise  and  good  in  every  age. 
Did  time  permit,  it  would  be  a  pleasant 
task  to  trace  with  you  the  history  of  the 
Presbyterian  church  more  at  large.  Mil- 
lions of  her  martyrs  have  sealed  the  truth 
of  her  doctrines  with  their  blood;  and 
though  persecuted  in  every  age,  she  still 
lives,  and  witnesses  for  the  truth.  But 
for  this  I  must  refer  you  to  history. 


THE  END. 


Date  Due 

1 

Ap  2  2  '^: 

1 

JA31  •^ 

nPR_.,  .„ 

liMlM^' 

FEB  2  8  1981 

i 

1 

<|) 

